Percentage of Gambling Is Online
The latest statistics on where Canadians gamble show that a majority of their gambling is done online. In fact, the proportion of Canadians who gamble online has increased slightly from the previous year. Nearly half of adults aged 18 to 34 used a mobile device to gamble online, compared to 14% of those 65 and older. Among young adults, online gambling has become an increasingly popular activity. And as the number of people with smartphones continues to grow, so does the use of mobile devices for gambling.
Four studies examined the extent of gambling involvement among adults. The proportion of people reporting an increase in overall gambling has dropped from 42% in 2007 to 14% in 2011. However, these estimates may not be very accurate due to different study methodologies. In the Health Promotion Agency survey, participants were asked a list of possible reasons for gambling less. The top three reasons were financial reasons, not wanting to gamble in front of friends and family, and feeling like you had become too addicted to gambling. A further study by Leonard and colleagues used an existing Canadian online panel and recruited regular gamblers.
The survey results from Ontario showed that a larger proportion of people had never gambled before, compared to the numbers from other countries. During the lockdown, only 8% of people who gambled online reported gambling at work or on their way home. Another 8% of people reported gambling at pubs or clubs. Those who indicated that they were affected by a pandemic were more likely to report problem gambling. This study is important for public policy and policymakers, because gambling is an increasingly popular and widespread form of entertainment.
What Percentage of Gambling Is Online?
According to the Gambling Commission, 1.6 billion people worldwide gamble on average every year. However, they do not spend as much on online gambling as the British population. It’s estimated that 17% of UK adults gamble online. The UK online gambling market generates PS5.3 billion in annual revenue. In the United States, online gambling accounts for only 3% of the 4.2 billion gamblers but accounts for $306.5 billion in revenue.
The age-groups of US online gamblers vary widely. Younger gamblers are more likely to have multiple accounts and use them more than their older counterparts. In addition, males tend to hold more online accounts than females. And mobile devices have a greater penetration of users. These differences could mean that mobile devices may become the primary source of online gambling in the near future. And if mobile devices become widely available in the future, the percentage could even surpass that of land-based gambling.
While online gambling has become increasingly popular, the number of those at risk for problem gambling is still very high. While it is a potentially dangerous activity, it can also be a fun and profitable pastime. There are a number of ways that online gambling can help people reduce the risk of developing a gambling disorder. The key is to be careful and to know what you’re doing. If you do not understand the risks involved, you may end up doing more harm than good.