Almost 80% of local population gambles, survey finds

A local survey has found that around 78% of Gibraltar’s adult population is involved in a gambling activity.

The results released by the ahead of the Ethical Gambling Forum next week, found that gambling is more prevalent than the UK, where 48% gamble.

The survey found that the most popular gambling activity locally is the Gibraltar Government Lottery, although a significant number of respondents don’t deem this to be a gambling activity.

“Of the 51.3% who said they participated in the Lottery, just under half felt that this was a form of gambling,” the survey found.

The Gambling Commission defines a lottery as a kind of gambling as it has three essential elements.

These elements are payment is required to participate, one or more prizes are awarded, and those prizes are awarded by chance.

Some 150 people took part in the survey which was conducted via social media promotion and circulated online.

According to the survey 4.7% of Gibraltar-based respondents gamble either daily or multiple times a day and do not feel their gambling is within their financial means.

This equated to seven respondents in total, although only two of them were concerned about their gambling behaviour.

“However, 5.3% of respondents said they were concerned about someone else’s gambling behaviour,” the survey found.

“Online gambling is also very popular locally, with around one third of respondents having at least one online account and some as many as seven or eight different accounts.”

Some comments from respondents related to the increased concern in gambling amongst young people, especially within the gaming community and children being encouraged to spend “vbucks in the game Fortnite” and using “loot boxes” to keep up with their peers.

The survey was carried out to gain a better understanding of the local gambling scene prior to next week’s conference which will look at the prevalence of gambling and how greater collaboration amongst industry stakeholders can assist in overcoming some of its ethical dilemmas.

“We were very surprised by the prevalence of gambling in Gibraltar as shown by survey results and look forward to discussing these in more detail at next week’s event,” co-organiser Jo Abergel said.

“We have a number of guest speakers from abroad as well as from Gibraltar and will also be welcoming a panel of recovering gambling addicts who will share their stories.”

“Safer gambling is just one aspect of the conference which will also look at other ethical considerations such as financial crime in the industry and whether regulatory fines are having any effect.”

She added that the gambling industry in Gibraltar represents around 25% of the local workforce and brings significant income and career opportunities to our jurisdiction.

“We want to highlight our well-regulated territory but also address the concerns that many have about this sector,” Ms Abergel said.

Keynote speaker, Jody Bechtold from The Better Institute in Pittsburgh, will offer her perspective, bridging the gap between clinical practice and the gambling industry.

“Drawing from extensive experience as a counsellor, advocate, and CEO of a group practice, Bechtold will provide a front-line perspective on the current state of gambling and its impact on clients, highlighting critical issues such as financial literacy, increased access through online platforms, and the co-occurrence of impulsivity and mental health/substance use disorders,” a statement said.

“This talk emphasizes the ethical imperative for collaboration within the gambling industry.”

“Bechtold will urge gambling operators to enhance accountability by integrating subject matter experts into their advisory teams and supporting prevention and treatment efforts through strategic partnerships and sponsorships.”

“Ultimately, the presentation calls for a shift towards a sustainable collaboration among regulators, industry operators, and gambling disorder experts to foster a culture of responsibility and minimize gambling-related harm.”

The Ethical Gambling Forum takes place on April 29 and 30 and the full agenda can be found on https://www.egf.events/agenda.html.

Free tickets to attend conference sessions only can be reserved by contacting: jo@egf.events