Number of gamblers fall, shows study

London: Problem gambling in Britain is not getting worse, a study showed yesterday, but spread betting and video machines are now the biggest areas of concern.
The long-awaited report from Britain’s Gambling Commission showed that 0.6 percent of those surveyed were problem gamblers.
The number equates to around 250,000 adults in Britain and is little changed from the last broad study in 1999 and despite a boom in Internet gambling.
Investors had feared the report’s findings would increase pressure on the government to tighten gambling restrictions.
The study, carried out by UK research specialist NatCen, looked at 17 forms of gambling ranging from betting in casinos and on the Internet to playing bingo and the National Lottery. Surveying more than 9,000 people between September 2006 and March 2007 it was designed to be representative of Britain’s 32 million adult population.
The government plans to use the results as the basis for legislation to cut gambling addiction and as a benchmark for future studies.
The study showed the number of people gambling fell to 10 million from 11 million in the 1999 study. Researchers put the drop down to the National Lottery draw’s waning popularity. “If you exclude people that only ever played the National Lottery, participation in gambling has gone up from 46 percent to 48 percent,” Heather Wardle, the study’s lead researcher, told Reuters. Gambling Commision chief Peter Dean said the results were a “surprise”. The 1999 study pinpointed casinos and sports betting as the biggest problem areas but the new study showed spread betting and Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, the touch-screen roulette and bingo video betting machines in bookmakers’ shops, attracted the largest percentage of addicts.
(Reuters)

Gambling articles | Comments

Rushmore Casino
With an enormous $888 Welcome Bonus, a knowledgeable and helpful support staff available 24 hours a day, fast payouts and over 80 of the crispest and immersive Real Time Gaming powered games, Rushmore Casino is a sure bet. All USA players are always welcome!