High-Value Gamblers Spend 42 Percent of Budget on Gambling

A recent report by the Department of Trust (DoT) sheds light on the spending habits of UK gamblers and how gambling fits into their overall leisure budgets. The analysis, based on bank transaction data from over 300,000 consumers, highlights trends in gambling expenditure and its relationship to other activities like food delivery and media subscriptions.

How Gambling Fits into Leisure Budgets

The study focused on individuals who made at least one payment to a UK-licensed gambling operator, excluding the National Lottery, between April 2023 and April 2024. During this period, these consumers deposited a net total of £150.8 million with gambling operators.

On average, gambling accounts for 10.69% of monthly leisure spending, ranking fifth among leisure priorities for most bettors. In comparison, more money is spent on food delivery and streaming services, with gamblers allocating 12.29% of their leisure budgets to gambling, less than what goes to food delivery (£44 on average).

Below you can see the breakdown of expenses according to the report:

Category Total spend % of total Avg. spend/person/month
Entertainment, TV, media £173,389,386.49 12.29% £47.53
Dining or going out £166,624,821.58 11.81% £45.67
Holiday expenses £164,688,653.01 11.67% £45.14
Food delivery £160,398,961.33 11.37% £43.97
Gambling £150,803,522.48 10.69% £41.34
Lunch or snacks £106,684,549.42 7.56% £29.24
Dining and drinking £102,568,230.57 7.27% £28.11
Flights £56,715,471.08 4.02% £15.55
Hotel/B&B £56,412,798.94 4.00% £15.46
Hobbies and activities £33,819,957.45 2.40% £9.27
Other £238,579,771.14 16.91% £65.40

Spending Patterns Among High-Value Gamblers

The report identified high-value gamblers as those depositing over £150 per month with gambling operators. These individuals show distinct spending habits, allocating a much larger portion of their leisure budgets—42.15%—to gambling. On average, high-value gamblers spend £191 per month on gambling out of their total leisure budget of £452.38.

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By contrast, the broader gambling population spends £386.67 per month on leisure activities, with gambling making up a much smaller share. Food delivery (£36.52) and entertainment subscriptions (£35) remain important parts of high-value gamblers’ budgets, though gambling consistently takes priority.

Broader Trends in Gambling Habits

The report suggests that gambling often complements rather than dominates the leisure activities of most UK consumers. DoT CEO Charles Cohen noted that gambling appears to fit within a balanced mix of social and recreational activities.

“Money talks and in this case, it eats too, since people spend more on pizza than on a punt,” Cohen said. “Stay-at-home fun, such as Netflix, food delivery, and betting online, is only about a third of leisure spend: the rest is spent on going out or going away.”

Interestingly, the data also revealed that gym and fitness subscriptions are common among gamblers, while over a third of those reviewed contribute to charity directly through their bank accounts.

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Popular Spending Choices Among Gamblers

McDonald’s stood out as the most popular choice for food delivery or takeaway among gamblers, with 87% of consumers in the study frequenting the fast-food chain. Streaming services like Netflix also featured prominently, as they continue to be a staple in leisure spending.

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