Are You a Stereotypical Gambler?

Stereotypical male gambler using online sports betting services on phone and laptop

If you are a male aged between 25-39, in full-time employment, who is also in a relationship, with at least one child, younger than 18, and most importantly you enjoy a good punt every now and again, you are an atypical UK gambler.

Statistical Analysis of a Gambler

You may not be familiar with YouGov but for those that are not, YouGov is an independent (nothing to do with the UK Government despite the name) research and analytics organisation that gathers data on everything from Coronavirus to British culture.

It should come as no surprise to anyone who has been breathing Oxygen, that each of us is nothing more than a statistic. You and I are merely walking, talking statistical models that are evolutionarily designed to provide unlimited amounts of data to marketing graduates.

The levels of data that government agencies and marketing departments hold about you are truly mind-numbing. They know everything you do, everything you did and probably everything you are ever gonna do, all by poring over endless data that you give up freely every single day.

But this isn’t a rant about Big Brother. Rather, we are going to see whether a minimal understanding of statistics can actually help you in your quest to be a better and more responsible gambler or even human being!

Are You Sports Mad?

We all love our sports right? I mean you must do or you wouldn’t be reading this article. This very fact means that I have just learned something about you. This, in a nutshell, is how data collection and evaluation works. But how exactly do you engage with sports and more particularly, sports betting?

Data tells us that there are distinct differences between those bettors that use traditional methods to bet on sports and those that use more modern methods.

For example; If you are standing right now in a high street betting shop you are likely to be in your early to mid-fifties. Conversely, if you are contemplating next weekend’s football Acca on your mobile then you are probably between 25-39. Oh, and you are overwhelmingly likely to be male, no matter which scenario you are engaged in.

Statistical research shows that more than half (54%) of regular gamblers identify as ‘sports mad’. This compares to a meager 1 in 6 or 17% of the rest of the population. A further 30% of recreational gamblers are also fans of sports compared to just 19% of the non-betting population of the UK.

The table above (provided by YouGov) illustrates that ‘sports mad’ people are more likely to put their money on the table when pursuing their passion. This just goes to prove that you can indeed put a price on loyalty, I suppose.

Profile of a Gambler

What is a typical gambler? What do they look like? What do they do for a living? Where do they live? What car do they drive? Surprisingly, it is really easy to find the answer to all of these questions. In much the same way as your local supermarket always seems to have the things you like clearly displayed at eye level on the shelves when you do your shopping. Online gambling companies know what you like and they always seem to be able to deliver.

The typical gambler (feel free to put a comment in the comments section below whether this is you or not) is going to be a man, aged 25-39, probably in a relationship, and may have at least one child who will most probably be under 18. He will be in full-time employment, and will most definitely have had a bet, either on online slots or sports, within the last 12 months.

Interestingly, this person (have you decided whether it is you or not yet?) will enjoy listening to the radio and is much more likely to engage with and to trust radio or TV advertising. 46% of atypical gamblers (as opposed to 32% of everybody else) statistically believe much of what they read in the papers and see advertised on bus shelters.

Your atypical gambler also engages in social media and his favourite social networks are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

• 77% of gamblers use Facebook compared with 72% of the rest of the population
• 46% of gamblers use Instagram compared with 38% of the rest of the population
• 41% of gamblers use Twitter compared with 30% of the rest of the population

The infographic below illustrates the profile of gamblers in the UK that have participated in some form of gambling during the last 12 months. They were compiled by YouGov which is an international research data and analytics group.

Mindset of a Gambler

One thing that marketing people enjoy trying to work out, is how the mindset of certain groups works and how that differs from the general population. How does the mind of a gambler work?

Well, for one thing, gamblers are more likely to be motivated by money generally than the rest of the population. This usually translates into their career (27% as opposed to 18%) yet interestingly 65% of gamblers are also more likely not to want to go to work every day, compared with just 54% of the rest of the UK. Seems like a paradox to me!

Unsurprisingly, however, 38% of those that gamble regularly are more inclined to take risks in everyday life. This contrasts to just 20% of the rest of the population, who may well have never left the house during the lockdown.

Furthermore, research seems to suggest that regular gamblers in the UK seem to prefer to watch TV (55% to 42%) and go to the pub (78% to 61%) than non-gamblers.

So your stereotypical gambling type is not averse to risk, loves a drink, and watching footy on the telly with his feet up. No major surprises there really. In fact, I don’t think that many blokes in the UK would need access to in-depth statistical analysis to have been able to tell you that.

Don’t Be Scared of Data!

In this day and age, a person’s data and an organization’s collection of it is a bit of a touchy subject. But there is no need to be scared about this. At the end of the day, the data that the online gambling industry collects about you is only stuff that (for the most part) you would give up freely in conversation anyway. It must always be remembered that any data collected does help to improve the gambling industry generally. This in turn means that they can give you a better all-around service. The same is true of any kind of data for any kind of service.

In the UK, data collection is governed by the Data Protection Act 2018. This essentially ensures that any company that collects data about you does so responsibly and in accordance with the law. The UK act is a descendent of the European Directive EU 2016/679 or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which was adopted in the EU on the 14th April 2016.

The main tenets of GDPR are as follows…

1. Requiring personal data to be processed lawfully and fairly, on the basis of the data subject’s consent or another specified basis.
2. Conferring rights on the data subject to obtain information about the processing of personal data and to require inaccurate personal data to be rectified.
3. Conferring functions on the Commissioner, giving the holder of that office responsibility for monitoring and enforcing their provisions.

What this means is that data must be used lawfully and with your consent. You must be given access to any data held about you upon request. Data officers in online gaming companies are responsible for ensuring that all the data held about you fulfills legal requirements and is only used for the stated purpose.

Don’t be worried about giving information to (UK licensed) online gambling sites. The service that you get today is a direct result of the information that you gave freely yesterday. So, all you stereotypical gamblers out there are actually helping to grow the industry and improve services for everyone.