About this study

The British Gambling Prevalence Survey measures gambling participation in Great Britain.
The next survey report will publish in late 2010. Two previous reports were published in 2007 and 2000. You can read findings from the 2007 report here.

The survey measures participation in all forms of gambling, ranging from the National Lottery to visiting casinos. It estimates the level of problem gambling in Britain and looks at the different factors associated with this. The survey also provides important information about what people think about gambling.

Results from the 2010 study will help us to assess whether gambling behaviour has changed in Britain in the last ten years and, if it has, to explore how this behaviour has changed. The 2010 survey is the first prevalence survey to be conducted since the Gambling Act 2005 came fully into effect in September 2007.

The survey is commissioned by the Gambling Commission and is funded by Grant in Aid provided to the Gambling Commission from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Potential policy impact

The results of the survey are used by the Commission and Department of Culture, Media and Sport to provide advice to government about participation in gambling and the prevalence of problem gambling in Britain.

Methods

The survey is a nationally representative survey of adults aged 16 and over living in private households. Participants answer most of the questions by typing their answers into a laptop after answering a short face-to-face questionnaire with an interviewer. In 2010 the study was relaunched to participants as the Leisuretime: Lottery and Recreation Study.