Lotteries most popular gambling activity among Brits, reveals new UKGC Study

The latest edition of the UK Gambling Survey (GSGB) reveals that a fifth (20%) of respondents participate only in lottery draws. The survey, conducted from April to July 2024, involved 4,657 participants aged 18 and over.

Overall, 48% of respondents engaged in some form of gambling, with lotteries leading as the most popular activity at 47%. Other gambling activities included scratch cards (12%), betting (12%), and online instant win games (7%).

Men aged 45 to 64 showed the highest gambling participation rates. However, when excluding those who only play the lottery, the predominant age group shifts to 25 to 34 years. Additionally, the participation rate for online gambling was 37%, indicating a decline to 17% if lottery-only players are not considered.

Notably, the most common motivations for gambling included “the chance to win big money” and simply “because it's fun.”