BETS ON THE RUN
The use of mobile phones for online gambling is on the rise
NEARLY half of all online gamblers now use their mobile phones to make their bets.
Some 44 per cent of people who bet online do so via a mobile phone, according to the latest Gambling Participation Survey from the Gambling Commission.
That’s up from 23 per cent as recently as 2015.
It means that phones are close to becoming the most popular way to make online bets, with only laptops being more widely used (by 45% of online gamblers).
Young gamblers are the most likely to use mobiles for placing bets.
Some 70 per cent of 25-34 year olds who gamble online said they used mobiles to place bets - as did 64 per cent of 18-24 year olds.
That drops as low as 21 per cent for 55-64 year olds and just nine per cent for people aged 65 or older.
The survey also found that more than half (57 per cent) of gamblers surveyed said that they had seen gambling advertisements on TV at least once a week in 2018.
Some 41% said that they saw
gambling ads on websites on a weekly basis, while 40% said they saw them on social media at least once a week.
Those ads do impact betting behaviours, it would seem particularly among the young.
Almost two thirds (62 per cent) of 18-24 year olds who gamble online said that they had been prompted to spend money on gambling because of an advert.
That figure drops to 57 per cent for
25-34 year olds, 45 per cent for 35-44 year olds, 47 per cent for 45-54 year olds, 36% for 55-64 year olds and 23% for those aged 65 or over.
A GambleAware spokesperson has said: “With so many of us now carrying a gambling machine in our pockets, it is not surprising to see so many young people gambling on their mobiles, on the go.
“We must not shy away from the fact that gambling is a serious public health issue and we have sought to address this with our new Bet Regret
campaign. “With around 2.4 million men aged between 1634 regularly gambling on sport online, the campaign aims to encourage people to think about their gambling habits and what signs to look out for. It is vital that people are aware of the risks of gambling and what help and advice is available via BeGambleAware.org.”