Gambling Commission links problem gambling to certain verticals
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published a comprehensive report highlighting the elevated risks associated with specific gambling formats, which can lead to problem gambling. This analysis persists even after accounting for variables such as frequency of play, player demographics, age, sex, and socio-economic status. These findings largely align with earlier insights derived from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB).
Released on February 6, 2024, this report delves deeper into the implications of gambling activities on individuals’ gambling behavior using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). This index serves as a critical tool for measuring the impact of gambling on participants.
In the original GSGB data release in July 2024, the UKGC identified in-person betting on non-sports events as presenting the highest average proportion of high-risk players, characterized by PGSI scores of eight or higher.
The report meticulously evaluates the differences across various gambling verticals, pinpointing those that exhibit elevated risks of problem gambling.
The PGSI Framework: Understanding the Implications
The PGSI framework categorizes participants based on their gambling behaviors, where a score of eight or more signifies that a person has experienced significant adverse consequences due to gambling. In interpreting the latest findings, the UKGC underscored the necessity for additional considerations when assessing the link between various gambling activities and PGSI scores.
The comprehensive analysis sought to unravel the connection between a player’s participation in multiple gambling activities and any accompanying problematic behaviors, alongside frequency of gambling and its correlation with PGSI scores. Various gambling formats were investigated, including:
- Casino products (both land-based and online)
- Sports betting
- Online instant win games
- Scratchcards
The report’s structured approach included several analytical models. The second model focused on whether problematic behaviors sustained in specific gambling verticals remained significant upon considering a participant’s overall gambling activity. The third examined a range of socio-demographic factors including:
- Age
- Sex
- Education level
- Employment status
- Household income quintile
- Area deprivation
- Marital status
- Ethnicity
Key Findings: A Deeper Dive
The results from the first two models indicated a decrease in the average percentage of players scoring a PGSI of eight or above across all verticals. Nevertheless, the UKGC pointed out that certain gambling formats remain closely linked to problem gambling tendencies.
For instance, players who purchased National Lottery tickets—whether online or in-person—had a significantly lower odds ratio of achieving a PGSI score of eight or more compared to non-purchasers. Conversely, activities such as online slot games and non-sports betting exhibited persistent associations with high PGSI scores. The negative impact of these gambling formats persisted even after controlling for frequency of gambling.
Additional gambling activities that were notably related to higher PGSI scores post-adjustment included online instant wins and both in-person and online casino games. The UKGC’s findings suggest these activities pose a heightened risk of adverse consequences for participants.
“Remarkably, many gambling formats most associated with a PGSI score of eight or more are characterized as fast-paced, continuous formats, such as casino games, slots, and online instant wins,” the report stated. “Moreover, betting on non-sports events and in-person sports/race betting also emerged as significant risk factors for high PGSI scores, although the underlying drivers of these associations remain unclear.”
Interestingly, gambling formats that demonstrated less correlation with elevated PGSI scores included football pools, in-person bingo, and sports betting related to national lottery online instant win games.
Regulatory Insights: A Call for Action
The research methodology harnessed insights from participants regarding 18 legally available gambling formats within the UK while also querying any recent private gambling activities. This robust investigation aimed to verify the longstanding hypothesis that “greater involvement in gambling is more indicative of disordered gambling than does any specific gambling type.”
The findings reaffirmed that while overall gambling involvement is crucial to achieving high PGSI scores, specific activities harbor significant risk profiles warranting further scrutiny. Previous research has echoed these sentiments, advocating for intensified regulatory measures targeted at high-risk gambling formats. The UKGC’s latest evidence further substantiates the pressing need for enhanced regulatory actions to address these identified risks.
