In person gambling participation
In person gambling activities have been severely affected since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, all retail gambling venues closed and throughout the rest of 2020 and into 2021 many establishments had further periods of closure and disruption.
Data shows that in year to Dec 2021, 25% of adults had gambled in person in the previous four weeks, a similar proportion to that seen in year to Dec 2020 (26%), which represents a marked reduction from pre-pandemic levels. When those who have only played National Lottery draws are removed from the data, the ‘all respondents’ in person participation rate has also remained statistically stable between 2020 (18%) and 2021 (17%) which represents a significant decline from pre-pandemic participation rates.
Looking at in person participation rates by activity (for those activities which can be played either in person or online), a significant decrease is seen in people buying tickets for National Lottery draws in person (a reduction from 16% in year to 2020 to 14% in year to 2021).
Figure 3
Proportion of respondents participating in at least one form of in person gambling in the past four weeks.†
Data from chart
| Year | Past 4 week in person gambling | Past 4 week in person gambling excluding NL |
|---|---|---|
| Year to Dec 2017 | 34.6% | 24.7% |
| Year to Dec 2018 | 34.8% | 24.7% |
| Year to Dec 2019 | 35.1% | 24.3% |
| Year to Dec 2020 | 26.0% | 17.8% |
| Year to Dec 2021 | 24.5% | 17.2% |
| Significant 2020-2021† | No | No |
† Statistically significant change from Year to December 2020 at the 95% level
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Online gambling participation
Last updated: 11 July 2023
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Formatting changes corrected.