UK Internet Gambling In Good Shape

Two news items made headline news in the United Kingdom this weekend. The first is the setting up of an information hub to assist problem gamblers and the second is the latest survey report by the Gambling Commission.

The Responsible Gambling Fund of the United Kingdom approached Electric Putty a web development firm to design an internet information hub that will equip problem gamblers with the necessary information to ease their gambling addiction.

The information hub will concentrate mainly on the following areas. It will make it easier for researchers to search for the latest articles, publications and present legislation that pertains to responsible gambling. In turn it will allow treatment providers service evaluations, prevalence and problem gambling data. Responsible gambling counsellors can use the information hub to refer internet casino players to reputable and established service centres  Government officials, regulators and local authorities, will also be able to search for the latest statistics and research conducted on specific topics. Organizations that donate cash to problem gambling initiatives can now rest assured that their resources are properly handled. The Responsible Gambling Fund has set a due date in February 2012 for the launch of this information hub.

This week the United Kingdom Gambling Commission’s quarterly gambling participation survey results were made known to the general public. From July 2011 to September 2011 is the period covered. ICM Research did the survey using two sets of questions on a national sample of 4,000 per set. The first set of questions gauged participation in all formats of gambling. The second set covered internet gambling by making use of computers, mobile phones and interactive television.

Key elements of the research entailed the following. Activity in at least one form of gambling in the relevant quarter increased marginally to 57.1% in comparison to 55.5% for the same quarter in 2010. In 2009 the proportional figure was 55.2%. National Lottery was the most popular gambling activity since 47% of the nation participated in it. Tickets for society or charitable lotteries had a participation of 10.5%, 4.6% placed their bets on horse races and 3.2% were done on private betting with family, friends or colleagues. Males over 45 are more prone to wager at internet casinos.

Remote gambling came to 11.9%. The good news is that this figure is lower than the overall gambling figure. In 2006 it was 7.2% and in 2010 it was 11.1%. In remote gambling more males participated as opposed to females, however the age group was lower at between 18 and 44. Remote gambling via a computer, laptop or other devices was most popular, followed by gambling via mobile phones and then by interactive television.