Online Gambling in Pensioners Has Risen

Since the COVID lockdowns in the UK, online gambling among UK pensioners has more than doubled.

The Gambling Commission found that 39% of individuals aged 65-74 had gambled online in the previous month, a staggering rise of 124% since 2019.

Why have older people increased gambling?

Part of the rise may have been due to the COVID lockdown, when isolation and time at home gave extra time for online gambling. With the closure during lockdown of traditional gambling outlets, including bingo halls and bookies, online gambling was the main option available for pensioners to place a bet.

This age group is involved in various types of online gambling, including sports betting and racing, live casino blackjack and poker, slots, and the National Lottery.

Pre-pandemic gambling levels

The UK Gambling Addiction Treatment Group found that in 2016, those aged 65 and above made up 11% of UK online gamblers. In 2019, this increased to 12.7% and 17.4% in 2020. However, levels have not reduced back to the pre-pandemic levels.

Will numbers continue to rise?

Online gambling can be enjoyed by many responsibly, but there is a risk of gambling harms, bankruptcy, addiction and fraud. As discussed by Collateral Global, online gambling results in more than 420,000 people in the UK losing £2,000 or more every year.

As quoted in Collateral Global, Professor Henrietta Bowden Jones, a gambling expert at University College London, said: 'Not everyone who gambles will develop a gambling disorder, but some will. Gambling disorder is an illness and if left untreated can lead to significant depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.'

Also in Collateral Global, Lead Therapist at the UK Addiction Treatment Group
Lee Fernandes said: 'These new figures are really concerning, because it goes without saying that those who are over the age of 65 could be at a much greater risk of being conned into using their hard earned savings to gamble online. The marketing and advertising of online gambling companies is so slick nowadays, with huge promises to ‘win big’ and ‘free bets’ that some participants might not even realise they’re actually putting their money at risk of being lost completely.'

He added: 'The rise in online gamblers at this age could also reflect a rise in loneliness in the elderly. Gambling online might help to make them feel part of a community, or they could even be risking their money in order to make even more to be able to help their grandchildren. “Whatever the reason for this rise, we would encourage anyone with someone elderly in their lives that they are experiencing the internet in as safe a way as possible and that they fully understand the risks that come with gambling online.'

For more information about safe online gambling,  read our responsible gambling guides.