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More people than ever are now online, and with it, a whole host of new ventures are now accessible. Whether it be online shopping, online dating or online gambling, you can bet than you’ve done at least one.
But with so many options comes a certain amount of inherent risk, and now it appears this risk may have reared its ugly head for the common everyday gambler.
According to figures published recently by the Financial Times, the rise in online gambling saw British bettors lose approximately £12.6 billion between the period October 2014 and September 2015. From this amount £3.6bn was lost through online gambling, equating to 28.5% of the grand total, £3.3billion was lost on the National Lottery and £3.2billion within betting shops.
Although less than a third of the total amount, online gambling packs quite a punch in terms of its ease of use and accessibility to users. From simple themed slot games to comparison sites that allow users to explore the best bingo sites, it is clear to see why they have taken a clear foothold in the market.
The traditional street-level companies however have not seen as much business. Whilst there are still roughly 34,700 high-street bookies in the UK, almost 200 have closed in the past two years.
In addition, the number of bingo halls has fallen by more than 10% in a year. In March 2015 it was revealed that there are now less than 600 bingo halls across the UK.
Casinos have also suffered as the amount of money wagered annually has fallen to less than £1bn.
