YouGov: 57% say gambling firms don’t take problem gambling seriously
Polling firm unveils International Gambling Report for 2021 as more than 40% call on governments to improve protection measures for gambling consumers
YouGov has revealed that nearly three in five respondents (57%) agree with the statement that gambling firms don’t take problem gambling seriously.
Those results were published as part of the polling giant’s International Gambling Report for 2021, which surveyed 17,300 participants across 13 global markets over March and April of this year.
From the survey, just 17% of respondents self-identified as online gamblers, having wagered at least once on any online game type including lottery, sports betting, online casino and fantasy sports over the last 12 months.
Only 16% disagreed with the statement that operators don’t take problem gambling seriously, while 27% did not have strong feelings either way.
“This presents a clear challenge for gambling operators,” wrote YouGov. “How can they persuade people that they are doing more to both understand and potentially avoid the worst aspects of gambling harms?
“This is important because voters’ attitudes influence legislators.”
Governments and regulators have a similarly tricky job to persuade the public that they are doing enough to protect gamblers and prevent gambling-related harm.
In total, 44% of respondents said governments should do more to protect gamblers, while only 23% disagreed with the statement.
Meanwhile, only 13% said gambling and sports betting regulation was too strict, while 44% disagreed with that statement.
“This is more than just about public relations,” said YouGov. “It suggests that gambling companies need to do more to persuade more people – including large proportions of their own customers – that they really do have policies on gambling harms and aren’t there just to make money from their customers.”
You can read the full YouGov report here.