Gamers in Britain are big on betting

LONDON -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Britain’s gamers are more likely to gamble than the rest of the adult U.K. population, according to new BuddyBet research. A full 74% of gamers also consider themselves to be gamblers, and, of those, 81% place bets on a daily or weekly basis, the BuddyBet Betting Behaviour report found.

In comparison, only 34% of the U.K. population admitted to a regular flutter, however 84% did admit to playing the lottery. Overall male gamers are more likely to accept the label of "gambler" (76%), than their female counterparts (71%).

BuddyBet’s survey, which looks into the social betting and gaming experiences of over 2,000 U.K. adults, found there were many ways that Brits enjoyed a regular flutter.

38% of those who played online, mobile or console games said they would be likely to place a bet on a game they were playing if the platform to do so was available to them, with peer-to-peer cash-based wagering in game play appealing most to male gamers aged 25-34 year olds (42%), followed by female gamers of the same age (40%).

When asked about attitudes to betting against the "house," 56% of gamers said they were more likely to bet if they were staking their cash against friends. Social betting appealed significantly more to female gamers, 62%, than male, 42%, and 72% of those aged 18-24.

“Our research shows that gamers have a much higher tendency to gamble, which fits with their competitive nature. Social betting is an innate part of human behaviour and it’s a fun way to challenge friends,” explains BuddyBet CEO Jarrod Epps. “By tapping into these social betting trends, our in-game betting platform boosts the competitive fun factor for game players. This factor also gives games developers an engaging way to earn additional revenue from their games.”

Money isn’t the only thing at stake in our gambling behavior. 21% of gamers admitted to having stripped as a result of losing a bet with friends.