YouGov: Has the cost-of-living crisis altered Britain’s betting habits?

Inflation has cut deep into the UK economy, hitting 11.1% in October, a 41-year high. With household budgets stretched, how is this impacting betting behaviour? YouGov polled a nationally representative sample of 2,271 British adults at the end of November to see what, if anything, UK gamblers had changed about their play.

In total, 31% of monthly bettors (excluding those who only played the lottery) have not changed anything at all, out of which a small number say they don’t have any concerns about the increased cost of living. However, a quarter of all monthly gamblers (24%) say they have decided to bet less frequently. And, as well as betting less often, we find that one in five (19%) are staking less money. When combining either betting less often or staking less, our results show that a third (34%) of all monthly gamblers are reducing their activity.

But these aren’t the only options right now and, instead, we find that a lot of gamblers are looking for more value from their existing providers or opening new accounts to gain new value. The top response here is 16% saying they are making more use of free bets from existing operators while 11% are looking for more loyalty bonuses. Free-to-play games are also getting interest with around one in 10 valuing prediction games (10%) and free slots/casino games (11%) more. Only a small number (8%) say they are opening new accounts to get welcome offers.

A small proportion are changing their betting, either focusing on shorter or longer odds (7%) or just spending more time researching their bets (8%). Likewise, some bettors are comparing odds between bookmakers more often (7%).

Spending patterns

Men are more likely to say they haven’t made any changes to their betting habits than women (33% versus 28%) but otherwise the actions they have taken are generally very similar. Where we see more differences is by age group. Forty percent of those aged 55+ haven’t changed anything compared with only 27% of bettors under 35. The younger gamblers are more likely to be looking out for loyalty bonuses and have also opened new accounts to get welcome offers. In contrast, those aged 35-54 are the most likely to be betting less often (28% versus only 19% of 18-24s) and also to say they are playing more free-to-play slots/casino games. Those aged 55+ lead the way on cashing out more often (11%).

While some may have decided betting more often or staking more might be a way to deal with the cost-of-living squeeze, it is pleasing to see that this wasn’t mentioned by any survey respondents. The survey did, however, show some limited qualitative evidence of respondents now playing named-charity lotteries to help raise funds for specific good causes.

Finally, looking at those that have played the lottery in the last 30 days but have not taken part in any other gambling activity, 79% are making no changes to their play. Eight percent, though, say they are betting/playing less often and 4% are staking less money.

Methodology: YouGov RealTime Omnibus provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on 24-25 November 2022, with a nationally representative sample of 2,217 adults (aged 18+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education level, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.

Having worked for YouGov for over a decade, Oliver Rowe has advised companies including Tesco and Barclays on their reputation management. He now brings that experience to a sector which includes the betting and gaming industry in his role as global sector head for leisure and entertainment.