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
- Change in gambling behaviour
- Motivations for gambling
- Conclusions
- Appendix A - Gambling activities
- Appendix B - Reading longitudinal tables
- Appendix C - Motivations for gambling – subgroup analysis by statement
Setting gambling in the context of other activities
Young people were also asked about the types of activities they most like to do in their spare time. Listening to music (37 percent) and meeting up with friends (35 percent) were most frequently mentioned.
However, the use of devices shapes the way in which many young people spend their free time, with over a third (35 percent) playing games on their phone, iPad, laptop or on a console. For boys it is the most popular activity, with 57 percent playing games on devices in their spare time compared with just 12 percent of girls. It also stands out as the most popular activity amongst 11 year olds, the youngest age group in the survey (46 percent compared with 35 percent overall).
The most popular activity mentioned by girls was listening to music (47 percent compared with 26 percent of boys). Girls were also more likely to report spending time on social media than boys (37 percent compared with 22 percent of boys). Overall, three in ten young people (30 percent) said that spending time on social media was the activity that they liked to do most in their free time.
Taking part in team sports (23 percent), chatting on the phone with friends and family (21 percent), exercising and/or keeping fit (16 percent), watching programmes on TV (16 percent) and reading books (11 percent) were activities which made it into the list of top ten popular activities, as shown as follows in Figure 21.
Figure 21: In your spare time, what are the things that you like to do most - Top ten responses
Figure 21 information
GC_SPARE. In your spare time, what are the things that you like to do most?
Base: All 11 to 16 year olds answering (2,559).
Note: Multiple response question so the percentages in the chart and table do not sum to 100 percent.
| Spare time activities – top ten responses | Percentage (multiple response question, therefore answers do not sum to 100 percent) |
|---|---|
| Listening to music | 37% |
| Meeting up with friends | 35% |
| Playing games on my phone, iPad, laptop or console | 35% |
| Spending time on social media | 30% |
| Spending time with family | 23% |
| Taking part in team sports | 23% |
| Chatting on the phone with friends | 21% |
| Exercising and/or keeping fit | 16% |
| Watching programmes on TV and/or streaming services | 16% |
| Reading | 11% |
Last updated: 9 November 2022
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