New Survey Sheds Light On Gambling Habits During Pandemic

Visiting a casino during the COVID-19 pandemic may have lost its luster, but gamblers certainly kept busy, mainly by shifting to or increasing the amount they gamble online.

According to a recent survey by Toluna, Harris Interactive, and Kurundata, 39% of US gamblers increased their gambling spend during the pandemic, while just 18% decreased their gambling spend.

Not surprisingly, 24% of respondents indicated they felt they were gambling too much, while just 13% feel they are gambling too little.

These numbers are based on 4,248 interviews (2,129 from the UK and 2,119 from the US) conducted between April 30 – May 7, 2021, by Toluna Start. The data is weighted by age, gender, and region to give the best representation of each market.

As the survey states:

This study was conducted to understand current gambling interests and attitudes during unprecedented times, with the impact of the global Covid pandemic, a review of the UK Gambling Act and the prospect of sweeping reforms to regulations, and the US market launching sports betting services across recently legalized states.

How Many People Gamble

According to the survey, a majority of adults in both countries have gambled. The numbers are 54% in the UK and 58% in the US. A further 5% of UK responders falling into a category the survey calls intenders. That number jumps to 9% in the US.

When the timeframe was limited to the last 12 months, the number of gamblers dipped slightly: 51% in the UK and 55% in the US. However, as I’ll dig into a little later on, gambling may not mean casino or commercial gambling.

The Stickiness of the Pandemic Gains

The survey also portends something few want to hear, that the online boom US operators have seen during the pandemic may not be as sticky as the industry would like.

As the Key Findings section states:

The pandemic and time at home has led to increased online activity and spend. As restrictions ease, retail operators will need to reassure of sanitization and safety measures, as in many industries, to attract customers to return.

According to the survey, Of the 206 US gamblers that are unlikely to return to casinos, COVID concerns were the primary and secondary concerns. COVID spread and a lack of confidence over safety measures were a concern among 41% and 33% of respondents. 33% of the same cohort said they prefer playing online. Compare that to the 45% of UK gamblers that prefer online to brick & mortar casinos.

A Minority of Bettors Think Gambling Is Beatable

One of the more interesting questions the survey asks is attitudes towards gambling, or how respondents see gambling and why they gamble.

Interestingly, only about a quarter of respondents see betting as a potential path to making money. Just 11% of US respondents cited “beating the bookie” as their prime motivation to gamble, with another 14% saying they’re motivated by “solving the puzzle.”

On the other side, a nearly equal number of respondents, 22%, said enjoyment is what fuels their gambling and 59% say they see gambling as a losing proposition. Connecting with friends (13%) and adding excitement 915%) were other motivations cited. 

I Think It’s Legal

Another series of questions indicates that a significant chunk of US gamblers may be doing so at offshore, unlicensed sites.

According to Harris Interactive:

Half the US public feel they have a clear understanding of the legal status of gambling (51%). However, an equal proportion feel they aren’t sure or don’t know enough (24% and 25% respectively). In the case of sports betting, legal status differs by state and where legalized, states have been launching services as recently as this year, with more to come. Awareness and understanding will increase and the US market presents a significant and fast growing opportunity for operators.

This can be seen in some of the results, as 42% of UK and US bettors surveyed bet on sports within the last year. That’s interesting considering the UK is a far more mature sports betting market, and sports betting is still illegal in many US states. Essentially, the survey says a certain percentage of people will bet on sports, whether it’s legal or not.

However, there is another explanation, and that explanation stems from the question, what do people consider gambling? Consider that 46% of US bettors bet on the NFL, but it wasn’t the most bet on sport. That honor went to basketball, which doesn’t make sense based on the handle numbers these two sports generate. That is until you consider how many people compete in a March Madness pool for the NCAA basketball tournament.