What Are The Habits of Online Gamblers?

Posted by Harry Kane on Thursday, July 13, 2017

While UK citizens have seen their disposable income levels fall considerably during the last two quarters, the amount gambled online continues to rise.

This underlines the true popularity of online gambling and casino gameplay, which now accounts for more than 33% of the overall market and has created a brand new generation of participants.

A recent report by Opinium shed some light on this generation, revealing the key statistics and habits that define their activity. These include:

1. Online Gamblers Are Susceptible to Introductory Offers

Online casino platforms have enjoyed huge marketing success in recent times, thanks primarily to the lucrative promotional offers that they use to target new players. This has emerged as the single most effective way of attracting modern gamblers in the digital age, with an estimated 49% of virtual casino players likely to switch brands when they receive a better offer.

Today’s generation of online gamblers can certainly not be described as loyal, particularly those that frequent virtual casinos. It appears as though brands are starting to recognise this issue, as many have begun to improve the quality of the offers that they share with existing players in a bid to drive retention.

2. Male Gamblers Dominate, Except When it Comes to Bingo

While gender stereotypes are increasingly inaccurate in the worlds of console and desktop gaming, they remain prevalent in the virtual gambling realm.

An estimated 62% of all gamblers are male, for example, while the sportsbook-only audience consists of 80% men. While the casino market is a little more balanced, male players still dominate and account for 57% of the overall audience.

It is anticipated that this chasm will decline in the years ahead, as female gamers become increasingly active in the marketplace. We have already seen in this in the field of online bingo, where a staggering 78% of all players are women.

3. British Gamblers Are Developing Increasingly Eclectic Tastes

According to the figures, 33% of British gamblers engage in sportsbook betting only. A further 11% frequent online bingo sites only, while 8% solely visit virtual casinos (although this number is increasing incrementally).

While this may suggest that most British gamblers have clearly defined tastes, this demographic are in fact developing increasingly eclectic preferences. This is underlined by the fact that 21% of British gamblers operate across all three platforms, with a further 13% like to combine sportsbook betting with online casino gameplay. We are also seeing a larger number of players enjoy more unusual combinations, with 9% enjoying bingo and casino and 6% pursuing sportsbook betting and online bingo.

Overall, 49% of the UK gambling audience enjoy a combination of online gambling activities, sometimes through the same platform. This trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future too, as cross-platform gaming becomes increasingly prevalent and high-street bookmakers continue to transition and grow online.

So there you have it; a unique insight into the British gambling mind-set and the preferences that drive players in the digital age.