Scots ‘more likely’ to gamble than other Britons

According to a survey carried out by the Gambling Commission, 66 per cent of adults in Scotland spent money on gambling activities in 2016, compared with 56 per cent in England and 55 per cent in Wales.

The National Lottery was the most popular, with 51 per cent of Scots buying a ticket at one point during the year and 23 per cent buying scratchcards. Online bets had been put on by 10% of Scots, while 11 per cent said they had bet on a horse race and 5 per cent had bet on football in a bookmakers shop.

The Gambling Commission’ latest combined Health Survey, which outlines participation, at-risk gambling and problem gambling rates across Great Britain, drawn from field research carried out in 2016, shows that the rate of problem gambling across Britain was 0.7 per cent.

It found that 57 per cent of adults in the UK have gambled in the past year, down 6 per cent compared to a 2015 report.

The commission said 1.2 per cent of gamblers were classed as “problem gamblers”, with the rate said to be consistent with previous reports in 2012 and 2015. Problem gambling was more prevalent among people who had participated in multiple gambling activities in the past year than among those who had participated in one.

Gambling participation was lowest among non-drinkers (36 per cent), followed by those who drank up to 14 units of alcohol per week, (59 per cent) and was highest for those who drank more than 14 units per week (69 per cent).

Tim Miller, of the Gambling Commission, said: “The health survey, along with all of our evidence and data, indicates that the problem gambling rate in Great Britain is stable. However, we want to see a sustained and significant reduction in the levels of problem gambling and will continue to drive the industry to build momentum towards this goal.”