Gambling is a hugely popular pastime in the United Kingdom, with some of the most relaxed laws in the world. Not only is it widely available here in many different forms, but it is also possible for people as young as 16 to gamble. These relaxed laws are thanks in part to the long tradition that the UK has for horse racing, a sport that is synonymous with gambling, but many other factors come into play as well.
There are 60 million people in the United Kingdom, spread across a number of counties, cities and and towns. That’s a huge number of potential gamblers; a huge well of cash for casinos and sportsbooks to tap.
Online gambling has been popular in the UK more or less since its inception, as it was able to comply with all current laws whilst attracting diehard gamblers in the process. The most successful sites in the beginning were the ones attached to respected brands such as Bet365, as customers knew them and felt they were able to trust them. In the early days the likes of Bet365, William Hill and Ladbrokes ruled this sector, posting bets online and taking them via the phone from customers who were still questioning the security of online transactions.
By the year 2000, the industry had changed completely. Only a few years had passed since the first bets were placed, but by then customers felt safe making transactions online. They were also able to utilise bigger and better software, and they had more of a choice, with sites like Betfair and Pinnacle in operation.
Online gambling is legal in most forms, including poker, sportsbooks and casinos, according to the Betting and Gaming Acts of 1960, 1968 and 2005. However, a recent change shook up the gambling industry in this country and made it difficult for both customers and websites to operate. This was a result of the 2014 Gambling Bill, which forced online gambling sites to pay a 15% tax on all profits and to apply for an official license from the UK Gambling Commission.
Still, this in no way makes online gambling illegal, and whilst a few European casinos and sportsbooks may direct UK customers to another site or domain, there are no issues with legality. Poker sites and other betting sites that cater for an International audience have also created additional software and setups for UK customers.
In the United Kingdom, you can purchase lottery tickets and scratchcards from the age of 16. The National Lottery is one of the longest running lotteries in the country, an institution that many citizens have played at one time or another. As a government funded lottery, and one that gives a lot of money to charities and to the community, it’s generally considered acceptable for everyone to play, which is why the age limit is so low. It is also possible to play the football pools at this age, which is cross between a lottery and a sports bet, simulating a huge accumulator whereby a winner can get several million pounds.
There are no age limits on private and non-commercial gambling, such as charitable gambling, nor is there an age limit on gaming machines, such as those found in arcades. The age limit for slot machines, however, is 18, and casinos may require all customers to be above the age of 21.
There are around 110,000 people employed in the gambling industry in the UK, with many employees from online gambling based overseas. On the whole, the most popular forms of gambling include sports betting (with soccer and horse racing leading the way) and slot machines, including Fixed Online Betting Terminals. Lotteries are popular here as well, but they are decreasing in popularity, whilst most other forms of gambling, in particular bingo, casino gambling and sports betting, are all increasing in popularity.
Most gamblers in the UK do their sports betting online now, although betting shops are still cropping up all over the country to take advantage of the offline custom that still remains. Some of the most popular gambling sites in the UK include the betting exchange BetFair, and the sportsbook Bet365. William Hill, Ladbrokes and Bet Victor also attract a lot of custom, as these names have been synonymous with gambling for many decades in the UK, whilst new sportsbooks like 188Bet and Unibet also do well for themselves.
The most popular gambling event in the entire country is the Grand National horse race, an event that is over 100 years old and one that attracts the attention of most of the country. It is generally acceptable for people as young as 8 or 9 to bet on this event, although they typically do so through their parents. All sportsbooks stop offering free bets days before the Grand National, knowing that new signups will likely never gamble again, at least until next year.
Other events include the Cheltenham Festival, which is generally considered to be the biggest festival in the sport and is held over the course of several days.
One of the fastest growing industries in electronic gambling are Fixed Online Betting Terminals, known as FOBTS (pronounced “Fob-Tees”). These grew 7% from 2013 to 2014 alone, despite the restrictions that had been placed on them due to public pressure. These machines cause more gambling problems than any other form of gambling, but they generate £1.5 billion for the gambling industry every year. The total gambling industry in the UK was valued at £6.3 billion between 2012 and 2013, and as those figures are climbing every year, we can only assume that they will be higher now.
Most forms of gambling are seeing year on year growth, but as systems become more automated and as the focus switches to online gambling, the employment figures in this industry are dropping.
