A 25 per cent increase in registrations during the first six months of 2021, compared to the past year, is a “key finding” of the first Gamstop bi-annual review.
The free national scheme for self-exclusion from online gambling says that the review, of 3,300 registered users, was launched to give greater insight into trends on the group’s platform, as well as gambling behaviours across the UK.
Fiona Palmer, Gamstop CEO, said: “While it is encouraging to see that consumers are continuing to find Gamstop and use it as a crucial safety net in their recovery, this review reinforces the importance of continuing to raise awareness of practical tools that are available to those struggling with gambling-related harm.
“Our evaluation results demonstrate that gambling-related harm is an issue that affects people from all walks of life, irrespective of income, location, or gender.
“It is imperative that we continue to reach people from across the UK, and to give them access to tools that can aid them in their recovery, or form an important preventative measure.”
The review, undertaken by research agency Sonnet, found that over 40,000 people were registered with the firm during H121, with March pinpointed as the second biggest month for registrations on record.
By the end of June 2021, the total number of registrants was more than 218,000, with the gender split coming out at 70 per cent male and 30 per cent female. Of those registered, 58 per cent opted for the maximum exclusion period of five years.
Younger people were found to be the most likely to register with 41 per cent of registrants in the 25-34 age bracket, a figure rising to 59 per cent when widening this to 18-34.
Furthermore, the evaluation also disclosed that a broad section of ages, ethnicities and socio-economic groups utilise Gamstop.
This latter point found that 29 per cent of respondents live in households with a pre-tax income of more than £48,000 per annum, with 48 per cent at more than £32,000 per annum. More than 75 per cent were in full or part-time employment, and 63 per cent had no children in their household.
