UK Gambling Commission in the News — Weekly Round-up for March 2, 2018

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Mar 2, 2018

UK Gambling Commission Publishes Annual Gambling Participation Report

Overall gambling participation has fallen

Headline findings in the latest UK Gambling Commission Annual Gambling Participation Report makes for some interesting reading.

The research found that overall, gambling participation had declined since 2016 with 45 percent of people aged 16+ having participated in at least one form of gambling in the past four weeks in 2017 (2016: 48 percent).

Other Key findings – which refer to respondents gambling participation over a prior period of four weeks – include:

• 45 percent of people participated in any form of gambling (Dec 2016: 48 percent), excluding the National Lottery, 31 percent (Dec 2016: 33 percent).
• 18 percent of respondents had gambled online (Dec 2016: 17 percent).
• 51 percent of online gamblers used a mobile phone or tablet to gamble (Dec 2016: 43 percent).
• 26 percent had placed an in-play bet (Dec 2016: 26 percent).
• 1 percent had played machines in retail bookmakers (Dec 2016: 1 percent).

According to the full PGSI or DSM-IV screen, 0.8 percent were identified as problem gamblers, while 3.9 percent were deemed as low or moderate risk gamblers.

The proportion of gamblers who had ever self-excluded was 6 percent (Dec 2016: 6 percent).

Only 33 percent of people think gambling is fair and can be trusted (Dec 2016: 34 percent), and 41 percent think gambling is associated with crime (Dec 2016: 39 percent).

Neil McArthur Takes Up Position Of Acting Chief Executive At UKGC

Until Harrison’s successor appointed

The UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) Chief Counsel and Executive Director, Neil McArthur, will lead the UKGC as acting chief executive for the next few months until a successor for Sarah Harrison has been appointed.

Harrison leaves the UKGC to take up a senior role with the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

“My priority will be progressing the first year of our new corporate strategy, and working with the industry and partners to continue making gambling fairer and safer in GB,” McArthur tweeted.

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