Gambling: How much do we spend in the UK?

Faithful to its word, the NHS has finally opened a clinic for people with serious gambling problems in Leeds-the first clinic of its kind outside of London. One of the popular online platforms for gambling, the TonyBet game selection, provides an array of gaming options for gamblers.

Just how much does the UK spend on gambling - and when does it count as an addiction?

How much is spent on gambling?

The Gambling Commission-the. humour UK regulator-says £14.5bn went to gambling in Great. Britain.

That number encompasses anything from tickets for the National Lottery and bingo to bets placed on horse races or football.

Online gambling contributed the most revenue at the figure of £5.6 billion, about 38.8% of the total spend on gambling. This includes, among other things, casino betting or bingo apps and games.

After that, bets placed by customers in betting shops generate £3.2bn.

Just under £3bn was spent on National Lottery tickets in the same period.

Who gambles most often?

The most popular gambling activity remained the National Lottery, followed by scratchcards. Out of those able to respond to the survey by the gambling industry regulator, 28% purchased a lottery ticket within the past four weeks.

If we do not include draws by the National Lottery, about 32% of adults say they have gambled in the last month.

About 40% of people between the ages of 25 and 34 coached into gambling within the past month, making it the most engaging age group for gamblers.

In the year to December, 37% of male respondents had gambled, while only 28% of their female counterparts had. Such numbers demonstrate that there is a greater participation rate among men.

According to a Gambling Commission survey, almost 20% of respondents stated they had gambled online within the preceding four weeks. Most players and bettors played from home using either a mobile device or a laptop.

How many betting shops are there?

Recent research reports that the total number of betting establishments had dropped slightly to 8,423 in Great Britain as of September last year.

But these statistics might not depict the period after the government made the decision earlier this year to cut the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals, or FOBTs.

Due to the huge apprehension that players could lose a huge amount of cash very quickly, it was slashed from £100 to £2.

Bookmaker William Hill has announced the closure of 700 betting shops in response to a decision by the government.

The firm warned the reduction could cost it about £100m a year in sales.

Analysts believed that the increased use of the machines would be most apparent in inner city and other urban areas where young customers would come in for use most often.

Different councils, including one in Newham, East London, have mounted a campaign in favour of the lower maximum stake. They have claimed that high concentrations of betting shops in their areas cause anti-social behaviour.

What is problem gambling?

Gambling is reported as a problem for nearly nine in every 1,000 people by the Royal College of Psychiatrists—rather about 1% of the population.

According to Bowden-Jones, a psychiatrist who is the founder and director of the NHS National Gambling Clinic, people with a gambling problem can end up in debt; some lose their homes and savings.

She describes gambling disorder as "a total loss of control" of how much you spend on gambling.

GamCare, a charitable organization which renders its support to those affected by problem gambling, states that it has been getting a greater number of inquiries. For the financial year, it saw just under 30,000 calls.

In the annual report, it mentioned that the calls from problem gamblers, or their family or friends, to the National Gambling Helpline increased by 2%.

Most callers (55%) said they were struggling with online gambling.

Liz Ritchie from the charity Gambling with Lives mentioned how gambling is a "serious addiction and costs lives".

She added that between 250 and 650 gambling-related suicides occur every year in the UK, with incidences of suicide among young people on the rise.

Ever since then, those addicted to gambling, or other types of betting, have been able to self-exclude from online betting platforms under a free-independent scheme called GamStop.

In yet another BBC investigation, it was found that members of the public were able to manipulate the system by simply changing their online identities in sports betting platforms.

What are the rules around advertising?

New regulations on gambling advertising came into force in April, which involve advertising on social networks and other online platforms.

Gambling adverts targeted at those under the age of 18 are illegal.

Animated characters from film or television, as well as people who "appear to be" under 25, cannot be used in advertisements by gambling companies anymore.

While it upholds the rules, the Advertising Standards Authority has no power to impose any fines.

Recent findings by the Gambling Commission indicate that 14% of 11 to 16-year-olds have gambled in the last week.

New guidelines for gambling advertisements were introduced in a bid to shield children from irresponsible advertisements that might provoke them into gambling.