Gambling
This is the first time that questions on gambling have been included in the Health Survey for England. This chapter presents estimates of participation in all forms of gambling in the last year, followed by estimates of problem and at-risk gambling.
Highlights
Men and women
- In the last 12 months, 68% of men and 61% of women had participated in a gambling activity.
- On average, men took part in more types of gambling than women.
- 0.8% of men and 0.2% of women were identified as problem gamblers according to the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders IV.
Types of gambling
- The most popular forms of gambling were the National Lottery, followed by scratch cards, participation in other lotteries and betting on horse racing.
Age
- For both men and women, gambling was most prevalent among those aged 25-64, and lowest among the very young or very old.
- Among men, problem gambling prevalence was typically higher among younger age groups and decreased as age increased.
Income
- Gambling prevalence was highest among people in the top income groups and lowest among the lowest income households. However, those in lower income households were more likely to participate in bingo and scratch cards.
Regional difference
- Men living in the North East and West Midlands reported the highest average number of gambling activities in the last year, whereas those living in London and the South West reported significantly fewer activities.