In an effort to make distinctions between Internet gambling and a PC game for mobile phones and interactive TV, the Gambling Commission in the UK produce a report that was the first of a series. A key objective, the commission said, is to measure the participation of obtaining a more accurate picture of the game in Britain.
The Commission a list of these among the main results of the investigation in January 2009:
or 9.7 percent of the 8,000 adults surveyed in the UK said they had participated in one of the forms of gambling in 2008. This compares with 7.2 percent in 2006 and 8.8 percent in 2007.
O people more likely to participate in gambling at a distance: males 18-44 years of age
o Most people who participated in remote gambling used a personal computer – almost three times more than a mobile phone or interactive TV
Interestingly, the steady increase in participation in the UK is mainly due to remote access to the UK National Lottery. When these lottery players are separated from the other respondents, the figures indicate that 5.2 percent of respondents participated in some form of remote gambling. As a result, the UK, over 90 percent of people do not play online or any other remote means.
The report also separates respondents depending on the type of game, for example, only 2.4 percent said they bet on horse racing of some sort. Only 1.1 percent played bingo from a remote location. Roulette and blackjack are played in a 1 per cent of respondents.