Scots are biggest gamblers in the UK

Published on Tuesday 15 February 2011 13:06

THE full extent of Scotland's gambling habit has been exposed in a study which shows three-quarters of people in Scotland have taken part in some form of betting in the past year.

The Gambling Commission report found that 75 per cent of Scots have gambled in the past 12 months, higher than the UK average of 73 per cent.

Significantly, it also revealed that across a wide range of betting activities, including widely criticised "fixed odds terminals", more people in Scotland are betting than in any other region of the country.

The latest British Gambling Prevalence Survey found that out of 16 categories of betting, six - football pools, bingo, slot machines, sports betting, non-sports events, and online slot machines - were more popular in Scotland than anywhere else.

It found that 59 per cent of Scots questioned said they had gambled at least once in the past month, compared with the UK average of 54 per cent. Some 49 per cent admitted gambling in the week prior to the survey, compared with a UK average of 43 per cent.

As it is the first time the survey had included a breakdown of Scottish figures, it is unclear whether the number of Scots gambling is on the rise. Across the UK, however, the percentage of people who have gambled in the past year has increased from the 2007 figure of 68 per cent.

The report also recorded a hike in the number of problem gamblers in England, with 0.9 per cent of the population - some 451,000 people - affected compared to 0.6 per cent four years ago. No data was available for the proportion of problem gamblers north of the Border.

However, Dr Gerda Reith, research director of the Gambling Research Group at the University of Glasgow, suggested the fact that some 7 per cent of Scots were using fixed odds betting terminals compared to a UK average of 4 per cent was cause for concern.

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Previous research by the commission has found that users of the machines - which feature animated versions of blackjack, roulette and horse racing - suffer among the highest addiction rates of all gambling activities.

She said: "People tend to develop problems with them very quickly and lose a lot of a money. The fact that Scots are using them the most is quite worrying, it's a significant figure."

The Rev Ian Galloway, convener of the church and society council of the Church of Scotland, said: "I'm deeply troubled by the level of problem gambling associated with gaming machines. This form of gambling is solitary and repetitive. These high-value machines in betting shops turn every high street into a casino."

But Patrick Nixon, chief executive of the Association of British Bookmakers, said the figures showed that "the overwhelming majority of adults in Britain gamble safely and responsibly."