Report
Understanding the impact of increased cost of living on gambling behaviour
Gambling Commission report with Yonder to understand the behaviours and motivations of gamblers during the period of high cost of living in Great Britain.
Contents
Impact of cost of living on gambling behaviours
This section outlines changes in gambling behaviour among those who have gambled in the last four weeks. Respondents were asked whether they had increased or decreased specific behaviours, or whether they had stayed the same within the last twelve months. Gambling behaviours surveyed included the amount of time spent, the amount money spent, number of occasions, and typical stake.
Across all four surveyed behaviours, a clear majority of gamblers reported that the amount of time spent (67, 70, and 66 percent), the amount of money spent (65, 68, and 62 percent), the number of occasions (65, 67, and 62 percent) and the typical stake placed (72, 75, and 69 percent) on gambling activities has stayed the same between waves 1 and 3.
Notably, a smaller proportion of gamblers reported that the amount of money they spent (down to 62 percent from 68 percent in wave 2) and the typical stake they placed (down to 69 percent from 75 percent in wave 2) had stayed the same in wave 3. This was mirrored by uplifts in the proportion of those who said they had decreased these behaviours (up to 30 percent from 24 percent in wave 2 and up to 24 percent from 19 percent in wave 2 respectively).
Those that have decreased their gambling behaviour, also tended to be aged between 25 and 44 and from a C2 social grade3 or lower. A closer look at this data revealed that those scoring between 3 and 7 on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), showed the largest shift between wave 1 to wave 2 and wave 3 on increasing the amount of money spent, and the typical stake placed on their typical gambling activities.
Regardless of any wave on wave changes in behaviours, those that did report a change in behaviour over time were far more likely to have decreased behaviours than increase them. Between 22 and 26 percent reported decreasing the amount of time spent on gambling activities compared to between 6 and 7 percent who reported increasing time spent.
Table 3.1: Change in gambling behaviours over time – The amount of time spent gambling on these activities (gamblers)
| The amount of time spent on gambling activities | Wave 1 (percentage) |
Wave 2 (percentage) |
Wave 3 (percentage) |
Statistical differences (versus previous wave) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET: Increased | 7% | 7% | 6% | No significant differences |
| Stayed the same | 67% | 70% | 66% | No significant differences |
| NET: Decreased | 22% | 22% | 26% | No significant differences |
| Do not know | 3% | 1% | 2% | No significant differences |
Table 3.1 information
Question 15. How has your gambling behaviour on these activities changed compared to 12 months ago?
Base: Gamblers who took part in wave 1, wave 2 and wave 3 – Gamblers last four weeks (664, 670 and 666).
Note: In some instances, where individual values have been presented in a table, the total may sum up to slightly more or less than 100 percent. This is because it has been calculated using the original unrounded values.
Table 3.2: Change in gambling behaviours over time – The amount of money spent gambling on these activities (gamblers)
| The amount of money spent on gambling activities | Wave 1 (percentage) |
Wave 2 (percentage) |
Wave 3 (percentage) |
Statistical differences (versus previous wave) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET: Increased | 7% | 6% | 7% | No significant difference |
| Stayed the same | 65% | 68% | 62% | Wave 3 gamblers significantly lower than wave 2 |
| NET: Decreased | 23% | 24% | 30% | Wave 3 gamblers significantly higher than wave 2 |
| Do not know | 4% | 2% | 1% | No significant difference |
Table 3.2 information
Question 15. How has your gambling behaviour on these activities changed compared to 12 months ago?
Base: Gamblers who took part in wave 1, wave 2 and wave 3 – Gamblers last four weeks (664, 670 and 666).
Note: In some instances, where individual values have been presented in a table, the total may sum up to slightly more or less than 100 percent. This is because it has been calculated using the original unrounded values.
Table 3.3: Change in gambling behaviours over time – The number of occasions on which you have spent money on these gambling activities (gamblers)
| The number of gambling occasions | Wave 1 (percentage) |
Wave 2 (percentage) |
Wave 3 (percentage) |
Statistical differences (versus previous wave) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET: Increased | 8% | 6% | 6% | No significant difference |
| Stayed the same | 65% | 67% | 62% | No significant difference |
| NET: Decreased | 23% | 25% | 30% | Wave 3 gamblers significantly higher than wave 2 |
| Do not know | 4% | 2% | 1% | No significant difference |
Table 3.3 information
Question 15. How has your gambling behaviour on these activities changed compared to 12 months ago?
Base: Gamblers who took part in wave 1, wave 2 and wave 3 – Gamblers last four weeks (664, 670 and 666).
Note: In some instances, where individual values have been presented in a table, the total may sum up to slightly more or less than 100 percent. This is because it has been calculated using the original unrounded values.
Table 3.4: Change in gambling behaviours over time – The typical stake that you place when gambling on these activities (gamblers)
| The typical stake placed when gambling | Wave 1 (percentage) |
Wave 2 (percentage) |
Wave 3 (percentage) |
Statistical differences (versus previous wave) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET: Increased | 5% | 5% | 5% | No significant difference |
| Stayed the same | 72% | 75% | 69% | Wave 3 gamblers significantly lower than wave 2 |
| NET: Decreased | 19% | 19% | 24% | Wave 3 gamblers significantly higher than wave 2 |
| Do not know | 4% | 1% | 2% | No significant difference |
Table 3.4 information
Question 15. How has your gambling behaviour on these activities changed compared to 12 months ago?
Base: Gamblers who took part in Wave 1, Wave 2 and Wave 3 – Gamblers last four weeks (664, 670 and 666).
Note: In some instances, where individual values have been presented in a table, the total may sum up to slightly more or less than 100 percent. This is because it has been calculated using the original unrounded values.
Gamblers were also asked about the extent to which they attribute the rise in cost of living to changes in their gambling behaviours.
Of those who reported an increase or decrease in at least one of the four surveyed gambling behaviours, 69 percent reported that their changes in gambling behaviour was at least partially a direct consequence of increases in cost of living. Between 18 and 20 percent reported that the increases in cost of living was entirely responsible for changes in their gambling behaviour. Responses to this question remained stable throughout tracking. Online gamblers remained aligned with gamblers overall.
Table 3.5: Change in gambling behaviours as a result of the cost of living (gamblers)4
| Change in gambling behaviours as a result of the cost of living | Wave 2 (percentage) |
Wave 3 (percentage) |
Statistical differences (versus previous wave) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NET: Yes | 69% | 69% | No significant differences |
| Yes, entirely | 20% | 18% | No significant differences |
| Yes, to a large extent | 23% | 28% | No significant differences |
| Yes, partially | 27% | 23% | No significant differences |
| No | 31% | 31% | No significant differences |
Table 3.5 information
Q17. To what extent, if any, have the changes to your gambling behaviour been a direct consequence of increases in the cost of living?
Base: All those who’s gambling behaviours increased or decreased wave 2 and wave 3; Gamblers last 4 weeks (254 and 289).
Note: In some instances, where individual values have been presented in a table, the total may sum up to slightly more or less than 100 percent. This is because it has been calculated using the original unrounded values.
References
3Social grade is a socio-economic classification (opens in new tab). This is a way of grouping people by type, which is mainly based on their social and financial situation.
4 The question text changed from wave 2 onwards affecting comparability. Only data for wave 2 and 3 is shown in Table 3.5: Change in gambling behaviours as a result of the cost of living (gamblers).
Cost of living on gambling behaviour: Impact of increased cost of living on wellbeing Next section
Cost of living on gambling behaviour: Gambling motivations
Last updated: 10 October 2023
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