Report
Understanding the impact of increased cost of living on gambling behaviour - Final report
Gambling Commission's research report with Yonder into the behaviours and motivations of gamblers during the current period of high cost of living in Great Britain.
Contents
- Introduction
- Methodology
- How to read this report
- Summary of findings
- Personal finances and cost of living
- Financial comfort and concerns around cost of living
- Relationship with gambling
- Impact of cost of living on gambling behaviours
- Gambling has stayed the same
- Gambling because it’s fun but will make cutbacks if needed
- Gambling is an inherent part of life
- Change in gambling behaviour
- The number of occasions on which you have spent money on these gambling activities
- The amount of money spent on these gambling activities
- The amount of time spent gambling on these activities
- Typical stakes
- Motivations for gambling
- Conclusions
- Appendix A - Gambling activities
- Appendix B - Reading longitudinal tables
- Appendix C - Motivations for gambling – subgroup analysis by statement
Gambling because it’s fun but will make cutbacks if needed
These gamblers will cut back on their gambling to prioritise essential expenses but won’t necessarily stop gambling. Whilst cutting back on other ‘nice to have’ expenses they are also reducing their gambling activity. Despite seeing gambling as a being fun activity which is also a way of socialising with friends, they are prepared to make cut backs to prioritise other essentials.
“I get a lot of joy out of gambling, joy in the sense that it was it is a fun thing to do, it is entertainment. It's something to discuss with your friends. It's something to do as a group” – Male, decreased gambling activity from wave 1 to wave 3.
Liam*1, 41, property manager in London: “I gamble because it’s fun, but I will make cutbacks on my gambling if I need to.”
Liam is 41, divorced with no children. He lives in South East London in a shared ownership property and works full time as a property manager.
Currently, he is feeling apprehensive about his financial situation and not positive about the future. He checks his balance regularly through his banking app. Any additional money that he has he tries to put into savings for a big purchase but will occasionally treat himself. Due to the impact of the increase in cost of living, he has had to cut off his non-essential spending (for example entertainment) to prioritise his needs such as his mortgage and bills. He is pessimistic and is feeling the cost of living’s impact on his life.
He started gambling on the National Lottery with friends and later sports betting with colleagues. He loves the social aspect of gambling and the excitement of betting whilst watching sports. He used to bet 5 times per week with high frequency on the weekends, mostly on football, horses, and cricket. He had a budget of £400 per month across 5 accounts on different platforms.
He has cut his gambling budget and prefers gambling in person as it still has a social aspect, but he finds he can control and limit his spending more effectively.
He is missing the social aspect of gambling with friends, and hopes to recover from the increases in cost of living in order to get back to gambling with the frequency he was betting at before.
“I am spending less on clothing, socialising, occasions and takeaways. Just because of cost pressures. But if it’s choice between getting a takeaway at the end of the week or betting on the football that weekend, I would definitely rather place a couple of bets.”
“I don’t do online gambling as much because I think it’s easier to spend more than what you want to.”
References
1 Names and identifying information have been changed.
Gambling has stayed the same Next section
Gambling is an inherent part of life
Last updated: 27 February 2024
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