The UK Gambling Commission has released statistics that suggest the level of remote gambling in the country is still on the rise as a result of the development of technology like smartphones and portable devices.
An increase of around 0.1 per cent was reported in the number of remote gamblers in the UK, with free online bingo and the lottery coming out as the top games. Between September 2010 and June 2011, 11.8 per cent of respondents said that they had indulged in some kind of remote gambling in during the month before the survey. Lottery tickets enticed about half of those gamblers.
The research also found that the overall level of gambling has increased yet again in the UK, with 56.7 per cent of those surveyed having gambled in the same time before the survey. In 2009, the figure stood at 55.2 per cent and, in comparison, 2010 saw a level of 55.5 per cent.
As technology continues to improve, the internet is becoming more widely available than ever before, which means that online gambling is highly accessible at all times of the day. According to the Ofcom Communications Market Report, the number of people accessing the internet on their mobile phones in the UK rose from 9 million to 13.5 million last year, so playing bingo online is potentially open to many more players year on year.
While some bingo halls have seen a fall in attendance in recent times, computers and laptops have been attracting more people to the online form of the game. 10.5 per cent of the respondents said that they had recently gambled via a computer, laptop or similar handheld device and 3.2 had used the function on their smartphone. Interactive TV gambling still has a 1.4 per cent share of players.
Authorities are attempting to stamp out irresponsible gambling, though, as new government plans seek to make it compulsory for gambling companies to have a licence to operate in the UK. These measures will act to protect members of the British public from falling victim to the lure of ubiquitous online gambling.
John Penrose, the Minister of Tourism and Heritage, explained the government’s plans: “The current system for regulating remote gambling doesn’t work. Overseas operators get an unfair advantage over UK based companies, and British consumers who gamble online may have little or no protection depending on where the operator they deal with happens to be based.
“So our new proposals are an important step to help address concerns about problem gambling and to plug a regulatory gap, ensuring a much more consistent and higher level of protection for those people in the UK who gamble online.
“We will create a level playing field, so all overseas operators will be subject to the same standards and requirements as those based in Britain, as well as being required to inform the Gambling Commission about suspicious betting patterns to help fight illegal activity and corruption in betting.”