Gambling most prevalent among Scots – study

Scots are more likely to take part in gambling than people in the rest of the UK, according to a survey.

The Gambling Commission found 66% of adults in Scotland spent money on gambling activities in 2016, compared with 56% in England and 55% in Wales.

The National Lottery was the most popular, with 51% of Scots buying a ticket at one point during the year and 23% buying scratchcards.

Online bets had been put on by 10% of Scots, while 11% said they had bet on a horse race and 5% had bet on football in a bookmakers shop.

Across the UK, 57% of adults were found to have gambled in the past year, down 6% compared to a 2015 report.

The Commission said 1.2% of gamblers were classed as “problem gamblers”, with the rate said to be consistent with previous reports in 2012 and 2015.

Problem gambling was more prevalent among people who had participated in multiple gambling activities in the past year than among those who had participated in one.

Gambling participation was lowest among non-drinkers (36%), followed by those who drank up to 14 units of alcohol per week (59%) and was highest for those who drank more than 14 units per week (69%).

Tim Miller, executive director of the Gambling Commission, said: “The health survey, along with all of our evidence and data, indicates that the problem gambling rate in Great Britain is stable.

“However, we want to see a sustained and significant reduction in the levels of problem gambling and will continue to drive the industry to build momentum towards this goal.

“Understanding the level of problem gambling is an important part of making gambling safer, but what this data won’t show is the extent of the harm someone may be experiencing, or the wider impact upon their families and their communities.

“That is why, together with our expert advisers the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, we recently published a ground-breaking approach to understanding the full range of harms gambling can have on society.”

The study was conducted by NatCen Social Research for the Gambling Commission using data from the Health Survey for England 2016, the Scottish Health Survey 2016 and the Wales Omnibus in 2016.