The high-street betting outlets across the UK have ceased operations during the coronavirus pandemic and no major sports and sports leagues are available to bet on. However, online gambling has remained available for British consumers, who can still place bets on them.
A new survey aimed at finding ways to help problem gamblers during the Covid-19 lockdown has been released by a group that has been working to understand gambling patterns in Glasgow. The Gambling Harms Group, which was established by The Alliance, is the one releasing the survey.
The group started a three-year project before the lockdown, as it was aimed at understanding the gambling models in Glasgow and responding to gambling-related harms experienced by local people. Since the beginning of the lockdown, the organisation has shifted its focus to studying Glasgow residents’ gambling behaviour during the lockdown period and the changes in their betting models.
The survey includes various questions to see whether there have been any changes in the gambling-related issues that local communities or organisations since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak. In the last few weeks, during the coronavirus lockdown, the large gambling companies have turned their eyes to establishing a better presence online, as they were forced to do so due to the fact that all major live events have been postponed or cancelled.
Online Gambling on the Rise during Covid-19 Pandemic Outbreak
As Casino Guardian has previously reported, Glasgow was among the UK cities that are notorious for their issues with gambling, so some non-traditional methods to deal with these problems have attracted the local council’s attention.
Previously, Glasgow residents have been considered among the Brits who are most addicted to gambling, especially considering their addictions to fixed-odds betting terminals and the fact that betting shops have been predominantly concentrated in the most deprived communities in the region. These concerns have led to various campaigns that were followed by the Government’s final decision to impose a new maximum limit on the betting stakes that could be made on the electronic gambling machines.
Lately, gambling operators have become more focused on popularising their online offerings of games such as roulette, online slot machines, scratch-cards, bingo and online slot machines. As some anti-gambling campaigners have alarmed, any of these companies also offer “free spins” or other bonuses as an enticement to players to make them set up an account with them.
As Casino Guardian has already reported, campaigners not only in Glasgow but across the UK have shared concern regarding the rising popularity of online gambling among local people. Unlike brick-and-mortar gambling venues, online gambling options have been available literally 24/7 and the coronavirus outbreak has left players with no other choice but to turn to online gambling services.
Now, anti-gambling campaigners have been willing to study the impact that online gambling has on gambling addiction rates in the city in order to find out what measures would be the most appropriate ones for them to propose as part of the efforts to tackle the possible negative impact that could be inflicted on Glasgow citizens.
- Author
Daniel Williams
