Gamblers cut bets during lockdown

MOST sports gamblers reduced their bets during the first coronavirus lockdown but a third gambled more frequently, according to new research.

Academics found one in six sports betters began a new form of gambling during the lockdown.

Researchers from Glasgow and Stirling universities used Yougov to survey 3,866 gamblers online about their bets prior to and during the initial lockdown in March to June last year, when professional sports were largely suspended and bookmakers closed.

They found the majority of regular sports betters cut down on their gambling, with about one third – 29.8% of men and 33.4% of women – stopping completely.

However, 17.3% of men and 16.5% of women started a new form of gambling during the three-month period, while 31.3% of men and 30.3% of women gambled more often on at least one activity.

Those who started a new form, such as lotteries or betting on virtual sports and races, or gambled more during lockdown, are potentially vulnerable to gambling harms, the study found.