A new poll by Survation suggests that 38% of British citizens who identify as regular gamblers are betting more than average during the lockdown.

Social isolation aggravates gambling

Regulators and lawmakers in the UK have been concerned that social isolation and lockdowns will aggravate gambling figures. As sporting events have been canceled, there are only obscure events to bet on. Punters may use this opportunity to participate in riskier bets like online slot machines. Lawmakers are now asking for stricter measures to be applied to the online gaming industry.

Now companies providing services in the UK cannot allow their clients to use credit cards for gambling. This helps in ensuring that gamblers don’t use the money they don’t already have to engage in risky behavior. The politicians also want daily spending caps of £50 while the lockdown is going on. Last week, the UK Gambling Commission said that it is considering the proposal. Note that several other European markets like Belgium, Portugal, and Sweden have already introduced spending caps.

Concerns arise because of the gambling figures

On Monday, clinical director for a network for NHS gambling disorder clinics, Matt Gaskell, said that the country urgently needs some measures to stop people from gambling away more money than they can afford to lose. He also called for restricting advertising and marketing practices that may entice gamblers and a review of the Gambling Act of 2005. “Forget self-regulation – we need the government to step forward,” he added.

The Survation poll surveyed 1,000 online respondents. It also said that people were gambling less often in general, even as some groups reported a higher gambling frequency. About 32% of respondents said that their gambling habits haven’t changed while 36% said that they were gambling with a decreased frequency.

People who identified as regular gamblers i.e. were gambling at least once during the week, 34% said that their gambling frequency had decreased. The figures align with the claims made by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) last week, which suggested a drop in gambling.