UK Study Asserts Problem Gamblers More Likely to Give Children Scratch-Off Tickets

Posted on: August 30, 2022, 07:17h. 

Last updated on: September 1, 2022, 03:12h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

New research in the UK shows how parents with gambling problems may foster similar traits in their children. The study, commissioned by British gambling charity GamCare, found that chronic gamblers have a tendency to imbue children with an interest in scratch-off tickets, beginning at a young age.

UK National Lottery scratch-off
A player uncovers the results of a scratch-off instant-win lottery card in the UK. New research suggests playing them from a young age can lead to addiction. (Image: Stonehouse Photographic)

According to The Guardian, GamCare commissioned YouGov to explore a possible link between gambling parents and their children. The study determined that a certain percentage of the group has a predilection for sharing their affinity with their offspring.

Several other studies, including some conducted by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), have found that problem gambling in the UK is extremely low. However, it’s still a topic within the gaming industry that gets more attention than virtually any other.

Scratching the Surface

The YouGov study targeted 4,000 parents in the UK, some as young as 16 years old. Of these, 12% (480 respondents) had purchased scratch-offs for their children.

YouGov determined that, of that group, more than 38% of problem gamblers in the UK purchased scratch-offs for their children. This is higher than the 22% of those YouGov categorized as having a minor gambling problem and 5% of non-gamblers.

Therefore, GamCare concluded that parents who buy their children scratch-offs set them up to become gambling addicts later in life. On the other hand, the fact that 38% of parents had purchased scratch-offs means 62% didn’t.

In this way, some believe the GamCare study results are similar to those of studies debunking the theory that marijuana is a “gateway drug” to harder substances.

GamCare’s Alexa Roseblade stated that people “regularly” transition to “other forms of gambling” when they start young. At the same time, early exposure can also give parents – in this case, 62% of problem gambling parents – the ability to warn children of the hazards.

Lottery Sales on the Rise

The National Lottery reported total scratch-off ticket sales of £1.73 billion (US$2.03 billion) in the first half of the 2021-22 fiscal year. This was a year-on-year improvement of 1.6%. At the same time, the UK problem gambling rate decreased from 0.4% to 0.2%.

Lottery products are the most common form of gambling. Since COVID-19, sales in the segment have increased globally. In the US, for example, the lottery market value is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.96%, according to Technavio.

In the UK, lottery products and sports betting are the most popular options for gamblers. Gaming operators know this, and many are proactive in combating problem gambling. The National Library of Medicine has generated reports concluding that anything that stimulates a person can be addictive. Other studies have shown that it’s not gambling that is addictive but the stimulation itself.

There will always be those in any consumer segment who become addicts, which is also true of the YouGov research. However, just 27% of 14- and 15-year-olds who participated in the study said they had purchased scratch-offs with their families.

This amounts to only around 129 people, based on the numbers. Since UKGC studies put the gambling addiction rate at around 0.2%, that suggests less than three of those people might develop an unhealthy relationship with scratch-offs.