Record 84,000 registered with GAMSTOP in 2022
GAMSTOP has continued to see an uptick in restorations, as the UK self-exclusion service revealed that 84,000 people signed up over the past year.
The highest annual figure since GAMSTOP’s launch in 2018, the figure marks an increase of 5% over the past six months and 6% over the full year, in comparison to 2021 standings.
In total, this brings the overall number of people registered with GAMSTOP – which self-excludes users from all online gambling webpages – to 341,365.
GAMSTOP CEO, Fiona Palmer, said: “Whilst we are unable to single out one factor that has contributed to the rise in registrations at GAMSTOP, it is likely that the current economic climate and affordability of living costs has influenced the decisions people are making about their lifestyles and expenditure.
“In 2022 we saw more than 80,000 new registrations which is a positive step towards supporting even more people. However, as we see an increase in the number of those with gambling problems, it’s important we continue to raise awareness amongst friends and family of those who most need it and that we continue to work with bank blocking and other support services to provide a comprehensive solution.”
A breakdown saw the latest demographic user group for the service being those aged 24-34, at 40%, followed by ‘around one in four’ in the 35-44 age bracket and ‘nearly one in five’ aged 18-34.
Men continued to be the dominant users of the service, with seven out of ten users being male, although GAMSTOP noted that 34% of new registrations were women in August 2022, the highest percentage of the year.
Last year proved to be an active 12 months for GAMSTOP, which surpassed its 300,000 total registrations during H1, revealing that 43,500 people signed up between January and June 2022.
Lastly, although some expected the World Cup to create a ‘perfect storm’ of gambling harm during the winter this year, GAMSTOP’s registration figures show that the highest numbers actually occurred during the summer this year.
The group noted that since 2018 there has been a ‘seasonal pattern’ regarding registrations for both men and women, with the highest number seen during the winter months.
However, 2022 saw this trend shift, with the highest number of registrations recorded on 1 July, when 371 new users signed up.
Additionally, bookmaker updates in the aftermath of the tournament – such as Kindred’s – suggest that many customers began to drop off in the latter stages of the tournament, something which City Bet Club expects to have a negative impact on Q4 earnings calls.
Source: SBC News
