Guidance
Exploring Drivers of Consumer Trust in Gambling
Exploring Drivers of Consumer Trust in Gambling
Qualitative phase: key findings
Overview
There were 4, 2 hour long in-person focus groups conducted in March 2024. As outlined in the Methodology section, participants who took part were of varying demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic grade) and represented a mix of gambling experiences (online, in-person, type of gambling activity, frequency), with the aim of establishing drivers and barriers of trust and attitudes towards the gambling industry and regulation.
Key findings
Insights from the focus groups revealed several key factors influencing trust, including:
Regulator impact and awareness
While most participants were aware that gambling is regulated, there is a noticeable lack of understanding about the Gambling Commission’s (the Commission) role, particularly amongst younger audiences. This knowledge gap itself can act as a barrier to trust: by fostering doubt amongst those who gamble as they are unsure whether their interests are adequately protected, leading to diminished confidence in the regulatory framework and industry itself.
"I am not sure what powers the Gambling Commission has to enforce."
Female, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for in-person gambling
Some participants also pointed to a potential perceived conflict of interest, noting that regulation is closely tied to the government, which simultaneously generates income from gambling taxes and licensing. This concern is amplified by the perception that gambling companies prioritise profit and tax contributions over consumer protection, in turn deepening scepticism about the government's role in the industry.
"My perception is that the owners of gambling companies have very close links with the government … I have no faith in the government being free from corruption to be perfectly honest."
Female, aged 18 to 30, with a preference for online gambling
Furthermore, in a sector where consumers actively choose to participate, the role of the regulator can, for some, be seen as less impactful, especially compared to other sectors like utilities, where consumer protection is more prominent. This leads to a perception that the Commission's influence starts from a position of lower impact.
Conveying the Commission’s independence and raising awareness of its role, therefore, is a factor that is important in building trust in the future and was identified as a valuable topic to take forward for quantitative evaluation.
Education and safeguarding measures
When prompted on what they think the Commission’s role is, participants often associate it with education and safeguarding, particularly thinking about the prevention of harm in relation to younger, more vulnerable people. Individuals often make this link because it is an emotionally salient topic, where they can see the potential for accidental harm or exposure taking place. In contrast, when it comes to adults, the decision to gamble is seen as a conscious choice, therefore those who gamble can struggle to see the need to put efforts into protecting the rights of willing adults.
"I think you can gamble safely within your means... it’s not the same as something like smoking."
Male, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for in-person gambling
Participants expressed concerns over the growing exposure of younger, more vulnerable audiences to gambling through wider marketing and advertising. Examples frequently mentioned included watching sports, where the prevalence of gambling advertising is perceived to be high, and through the blurring of the lines of responsible engagement by influencers and tipsters.
It was felt that safeguarding children is a shared societal responsibility and participants emphasised the importance of early intervention through education in schools and broader forums to mitigate harm.
"I think that the protection of children is the greatest thing the Gambling Commission can do."
Female, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for in-person gambling
Addressing education and safeguarding without increasing stigma is important and warrants thoughtful consideration. Because of this, the decision was made to advance this topic for inclusion in the quantitative phase.
Terms and conditions
There was a perception among participants that terms and conditions are intentionally unclear and difficult to navigate, contributing to a sense of being kept in the dark about their own rights. This impression was heightened by the design of terms and conditions: being perceived as hard-to-find, filled with jargon, and often presented in small print or colours that make them difficult to read.
"My perception is that terms and conditions when you gamble are designed to trip you up."
Male, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for online gambling
However, for most, the primary focus when gambling is on enjoyment of the activity and uninterrupted play. As such, terms and conditions only become a concern when issues arise, such as when making a complaint or seeking a clarification on rights. It is not something that participants proactively look for when gambling.
"You only read terms and conditions when you have a problem and then you start going through them and scratching your head."
Female, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for online gambling
Consequently, terms and conditions appear to have a lesser impact on building trust compared to other factors. Their influence, however, was thought to be interesting to explore in greater detail in the subsequent quantitative survey as a means to consider the dimensions of transparency and fairness in the industry.
Family and peer influences
The influence of friends and family can shape motivations to gamble, by enhancing the enjoyment of gambling while socialising. Younger participants often associated this activity with a sense of shared excitement, for example, around sporting events such as the Cheltenham Races, when betting with friends. In the case of older participants, some recall early exposure to gambling, enjoying visits to arcades with others in their youth or accompanying parents to betting shops.
"I get a real buzz from gambling with my mates when the football is on, it really adds to the experience and makes me invested in what happens."
Male, aged 18 to 30, with a preference for online gambling
However, friends and family have a limited impact on consumer trust in gambling companies and the industry. Participants described how once the decision to gamble has been made, they feel fairly set in their decision and rarely consciously consider the opinions of others close to them. Even in instances where they’ve heard of specific friends or family who have had a negative experience with gambling, they admit this rarely deters them since there is a sense of this being something that will never happen to them, feeling they are fully in control of their own gambling. Ultimately, participants felt confident in their personal ability to assess whether a particular gambling activity felt right or trustworthy at the time, suggesting a lack of necessity to validate this factor through the quantitative survey.
"A number of my friends and family have lost big when gambling, but it’s not something I’ve really experienced myself so it doesn’t affect me much."
Female, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for in-person gambling
The complaints process
Whilst important, participants noted that making a complaint is not a regular occurrence and even in the instance where an issue did occur, participants claimed they did not tend to escalate this to a formal complaint, due to this being perceived as an effortful process. Many believed that if companies handle the basics well and resolve everyday issues, the need for formal complaints would diminish.
"In all the years I have been gambling, I’ve never once had to complain personally."
Male, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for in-person gambling
When prompted for their views on the complaints requirements, as outlined by the Commission, many said the requirements do not align with their expectations. Participants felt that gambling companies should handle complaints directly (as per legal requirements), with the regulator only stepping in when needed, similar to an ombudsman. However, many find the apparent lack of resolution and human contact frustrating. Those who have previously complained report that they would avoid doing so again due to the effort involved and the uncertainty of a successful outcome.
"There isn’t an easy way to make complaints and even when you do follow through, gambling companies don’t really care."
Female, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for online gambling
With little perceived power and agency when it comes to complaints, this is generally seen as a secondary issue for those who gamble, and in effect, has less of an impact on trust. Due to this, it was decided this would not be taken forward as a topic for the quantitative survey.
Fair game play
Several factors can contribute to perceptions of fair game play:
Odds and win ratios: Odds and win ratios serve as passive reassurance for those who gamble, especially if they are a more cautious or occasional player (for example, among lottery and scratchcard players). Signposting these figures conveys transparency and allows players to verify the fairness of a game or gambling company, giving them a sense of agency and control.
"Knowing a game has random odds and a random selection that is not rigged in terms of winning and losing, gives me some reassurance."
Female, aged 18 to 30, with a preference for online gambling
Online sites: Concerns around fairness can be heightened due to the perceived complexity of digital algorithms and the lack of understanding of how these platforms operate, leading to the belief that ‘the house always wins’. This issue also extends to in-person gambling, where fairness is often perceived to be easier for those who gamble to gauge, for example, by observing staff or looking at what the betting amounts on machines have been set to.
"I’m aware that sometimes when you’re at the casino, you can see staff monitoring the machines to check they’re paying out when they are meant to."
Female, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for in-person gambling
Sports betting: Participants also spoke of perceived trustworthiness in some sports betting within the broader context of fairness in gambling. This trust was attributed to the association of sports, such as football, with skill-based gameplay. Certain sports betting, such as on football, was viewed as more trustworthy and fair compared to other forms of gambling, as it was believed to involve informed decisions based on knowledge of teams or players' abilities, rather than relying solely on luck.
"I feel like when you’re betting on a sports match, it feels much more like there is skill involved, versus something like roulette which is more luck based."
Male, aged 18 to 30, with a preference for online gambling
Ensuring that gameplay experiences feel fair, by including transparent odds and clear win ratios for example, is essential for sustaining trust. It was therefore decided to further validate this factor within the quantitative survey.
Withdrawal challenges
Among people who gamble, some report withdrawal challenges, reinforcing a perception that gambling companies prioritise profit as ‘the house always wins’. Key issues include delays, additional ID requirements, and vague communication. Withdrawals can take longer than expected, which directly impacts trust, prompting people who gamble to switch providers if this becomes a common occurrence.
"Last week I put £20 on the roulette and I won but still haven’t received my money despite it being a whole week. It feels like you can put the bet on in a matter of seconds but that receiving the money back isn’t as quick."
Female, aged 18 to 30, with a preference for online gambling
"I’m still waiting for my win, 8 days later. They want ID, they want utility bills and all these things when I win, despite not asking for them when I opened my account."
Male, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for online gambling
These withdrawal issues are seen as contradictory to the smooth deposit process most experience, leading some to perceive delays to be an intentional tactic to hinder access to funds. Experience of the withdrawal process can therefore substantially impact trust, highlighting a clear need to validate this factor through the quantitative survey.
Promotional activity
Promotional offers are often desired by people who gamble. However, these offers are also met with some cynicism. The balance between reward and over-promotion is frequently questioned. Those who gamble cite several concerns:
Gambling company self-interest: whereby the perception of direct communications such as personalised emails is considered to be working to the advantage of the company and, aimed at encouraging play and making profit without regard for player’s well-being.
"It’s quite bad that gambling apps always push you to add more money. They notify you and it’s like a mate poking you, saying go on, let’s put some more bets on."
Male, aged 18 to 30, with a preference for online gambling
"I get inundated with emails and promotions for free bets. It’s too much."
Female, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for in-person gambling
Surveillance: well-timed delivery of promotions, like free bet offers and push notifications, can be felt to be invasive. If these coincide with when people are gambling, it can lead to a sense of being monitored by companies, causing discomfort.
"The betting companies nowadays know exactly what games you like to play and when you usually place a bet; they notify you with tailored promotions which sometimes feel a bit intrusive!"
Female, aged 31 to 65, with a preference for in-person gambling
Marketing and social media: the perceived increased presence of gambling promotions through social media influencers and sports tipsters, is also thought to make it harder for people who gamble to make fully informed, independent decisions.
"You see celebrities like Drake putting stuff on Instagram and glorifying gambling; he shares live streams for roulette… but you know that he’s actually got shares in that betting company, so I think it’s quite bad that he’s doing that as it does encourage you to bet and you think you’ll win."
Male, aged 18 to 30, with a preference for online gambling
Overall, participants can appear somewhat indifferent to the sheer volume of direct communication and marketing, and largely recognise there is little they can do to affect this. However, these tactics can still impact their trust in gambling companies, albeit on a more subconscious level. Accordingly, advertising and promotional activity emerged as an important dimension of trust that warranted quantitative evaluation, not least since the broader context of advertising is critical for the Commission to monitor and assess.
Summary
In summary, the qualitative research revealed that trust in the gambling industry is shaped by various consumer-facing and systemic factors, namely:
- regulator impact and independence
- education and safeguarding
- fair and transparent gameplay and terms and conditions
- customer experience, withdrawals and support
- promotional and marketing activities.
These findings helped inform the development of trust statements for the quantitative phase, highlighting critical areas for further validation.
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Quantitative phase: key findings
Last updated: 3 October 2024
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