Statistics and research release
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.
Summary
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About our consumer voice research
We use a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to gather views, opinions, and insights from gambling consumers. This work complements our nationally representative statistics on gambling participation and the prevalence of problem gambling, but goes into more depth on key issues and emerging areas of interest.
We are currently working with Yonder to deliver our Consumer Voice research. They use a variety of methodologies including surveys, online communities, focus groups and life diaries to tap into the experiences of gambling consumers and those affected by gambling in Great Britain.
This release contains interim findings from new research exploring the impact of recent rises in the cost of living on people’s gambling behaviour. The work has been conducted by Yonder as part of our Consumer Voice research programme, and supports Evidence theme 2 – in which we seek to better understand the range and variability of gambling experiences.
Details
This research will test three core hypotheses:
- the rise in cost of living is likely to impact consumers’ gambling behaviour in different ways, depending on their personal circumstances and the way in which gambling fits into their lives
- some gamblers will report that the rise in cost of living has had a mediating effect on their gambling behaviour
- the rise in cost of living may negatively impact vulnerabilities for some consumers, putting them at an increased risk of gambling-related harm.
A longitudinal survey was undertaken over three waves between December 2022 and June 2023. In total 1,391 respondents took part in all three surveys. This was followed by qualitative depth interviews with 16 participants who had taken part in all three waves of the survey.
This release contains interim findings from the survey phase of the research. A further report will be published in early 2024 containing further analyses and qualitative insights.
Emerging findings
Broadly, respondents are aligned on their levels of financial comfort and concerns, and their wellbeing as it relates to the increase in cost of living, regardless of their gambling status. However, online gamblers and those who score 8 or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) appear to have felt the negative impacts of increased cost of living on their financial security and wellbeing more strongly.
These initial findings suggest that the rise in cost of living does not appear to have had a mediating effect on most gamblers’ gambling behaviours, with most behaviours staying the same as they were 12 months ago. In contrast, the small proportion of those who have made changes to their gambling behaviours are more likely to have decreased them than increased them. Those scoring 8 or more on the PGSI are the exception to this trend, as they are more likely to have increased their gambling behaviours than other groups.
Further quantitative analysis exploring the impact of increased cost of living across different demographic groups as well as longitudinal analyses will be included in the final report. This will also be accompanied by key findings from the qualitative phase of this research.
Full publication
Report: Understanding the impact of increased cost of living on gambling behaviour.
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