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Read Full BioA new report published by the Coalition to End Gambling Advertising (CEGA) has detailed disparities in views about gambling depending on an individual’s values.
The anti-gambling group released a report titled “Ending a Losing Streak,” which categorizes survey respondents into seven segments based on their fit.
The survey found that sceptical scrollers, a “digitally-native group whose unhappiness with the social contract means they have lost faith in traditional institutions,” show the highest favoritism to gambling.
Meanwhile, rooted patriots, a “patriotic but politically untethered group which feels abandoned and overlooked by political elites and yearns for leaders with common sense” display the strongest opposition to the gambling industry.
Seven Segments: Which are You?
The seven segments have been devised by the research group More in Common, which collaborated with CEGA on the study. Anyone can see which of the seven categories they fit into by taking the quiz on the group’s website.
All seven segments are as follows:
Progressive Activists – A highly engaged, globally minded group focused on social justice and systemic change.
Incrementalist Left – Community-oriented and generally left-of-centre, preferring gradual reform and consensus over radical shifts.
Established Liberals – Comfortable, trusting in institutions and experts, generally supportive of the status quo and incremental progress.
Sceptical Scrollers – Digitally native and sceptical of traditional institutions; often turn to alternative sources online.
Rooted Patriots – Patriotic and focused on community stability; feel overlooked by elites and value common-sense leadership.
Traditional Conservatives – Respect tradition and authority, sceptical of rapid change, and optimistic about the future within existing norms.
Dissenting Disruptors – Disconnected and distrustful of institutions, seeking radical change and often attracted to ideas that promise to overhaul the status quo.
More In Common was founded in the aftermath of MP Jo Cox’s murder in 2016 and aims to promote her belief that “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”
Report Calls for Ban on Gambling Advertising
The report is the latest effort from CEGA to put pressure on MPs to ban gambling advertising in the UK. The group recently recruited Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston, who released a video campaigning for action.
It highlights that only 3% of respondents said they are in favor of increasing gambling advertising in soccer. When it comes to a complete ban on gambling advertising, the report notes that Britons are undecided. Around 50% of respondents believed it should be banned, with around 50% believing it should not. There was no notable difference between the seven segments on the issue.
Despite a lack of a clear opinion from the public, the report recommended restricting advertising as one of its key takeaways from the study.
In addition, it stated that public opinion recommends increased regulation of the gambling industry, including the imposition of higher taxes. Most respondents indicated they favored regulating the industry to reduce harm caused by gambling, including 58% of gamblers.
The report’s final recommendation is to slow the barriers of entry to online gambling, particularly for young people. The majority of people (54%) said online gambling should remain legal, with 31% saying they thought it should be made illegal.
More In Common, But Notably Different
On some issues, there were some notable differences between the groups, primarily sceptical scrollers and rooted patriots. One noticeable difference was on whether gambling venues should be allowed to operate 24 hours a day. While 29% of sceptical scrollers responded yes, only 4% of rooted patriots agreed.
Adult gaming centres have attracted political attention recently in the UK, with local councils appealing for more powers to prevent the venues from opening on high streets.
The two groups also diverged when asked about loot boxes. Only 16% of rooted patriots said loot boxes in video games are not really gambling, compared to 34% of sceptical scrollers.
They were also at opposite ends of the spectrum when asked if there should be limits on how much gamblers can deposit into their betting accounts. Rooted patriots were the most in favor of strict limits at 64%, while sceptical scrollers were the least at only 30%.
UK gambling companies are now subject to new regulations from the country’s Gambling Commission, which require them to offer all users the opportunity to set deposit limits.
Over 50% of rooted patriots and progressive activists were in favor of much stricter regulation of the gambling industry, while sceptical strollers were the lowest at 21%.
Interestingly, gamblers were not overly concerned that increased regulation would lead to worse odds. Around 49% said that this mattered, while 42% said that it did not matter. While non-gambling groups understandably said it did not matter, it also suggests that gamblers are not necessarily swayed by companies reducing their bonuses or odds.
The warning sounded by gambling companies against increased taxes and regulation has been that it will send gamblers to offshore sites, but many indicate that it does not matter whether the odds on offer are reduced.
