Report: Frequent gamblers more than six times more likely to gamble during lockdown
University of Bristol study into 2,600 adults revealed that men and women had gambled less frequently during lockdown overall
Regular gamblers were more than six times more likely to gamble online during lockdown than before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research from the University of Bristol.
The study also discovered that the increase in online gambling was more prevalent in regular male gamblers during lockdown.
In total, 2,600 adults responded as part of the research, and the results revealed that men were overall three times more likely to gamble than women.
Regular gambling was defined as partaking in a gambling activity more than once a week.
Although overall men and women gambled less frequently during lockdown, partly due to betting shops being closed, some forms of gambling increased, including online, where poker, bingo and casino games grew six-fold among regular gamblers, according to the study which was published in the Journal of Gambling Studies.
Also, occasional gamblers were found to be twice as likely to gamble compared to before the arrival of pandemic restrictions.
Those who were experiencing financial difficulties before Covid-19 swept into the UK were actually more likely to gamble during lockdown despite their position.
Lead author Professor Alan Emond of the University of Bristol’s Medical School said: “This study provides unique real time insights into how people’s attitudes and gambling behaviour changed during lockdown, when everyone was stuck inside and unable to participate in most social activities.
“As with so many repercussions of the pandemic, inequalities have been exacerbated and particularly vulnerable groups were worse affected,” he added.
The study also builds on other evidence including the YouGov’s Covid-19 tracker study, which found that more people turned to new online gambling options during lockdown.
The comparative research used two online questionnaires during the first lockdown in 2020, which surveyed the same group of adults, aged 28 years on average, who had previously been asked similar questions about gambling before the pandemic as part of the Children of the 90s study, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
However, GambleAware last week suggested that surveys conducted exclusively online could lead to skewed and “over-estimated” data on UK problem gambling rates.