Over the past few years, there have been shifting trends in the UK online lottery betting. Recent statistics show that online gambling accounts account for 33% of the total gambling in Britain.
Online lottery betting varies in that for lottery betting, the operator rewards the players basing on the odds of a potential income. That is, a player can alter their odds based on the game preferences and prediction. Besides, buying lottery tickets online is easier; online lottery betting also works in mobile phones which is one of the reasons for its high popularity.
From April 2015 to March 2016, National Lottery generated €3.4 billion, casinos generated €1 billion while the high street betting sector generated €3.3 billion. These trends all point to the unprecedented rise of lottery in the UK with online lottery betting accounting for a majority of the revenue.
A telegraph report shows that many UK lottery fans buy online lottery tickets to participate in higher stakes jackpots of up to €1 billion. Many of these lottery providers allow the only UK and non-UK citizens to participate in their international lotteries. But the growing breed of online lotto companies is getting around the rules by allowing citizens of other countries to gamble on the outcome of the lottery.
Section 95 of the Gambling Act 2005 prohibits betting license holders from offering bets basing on the outcome of lotteries that are part of the National Lottery.
Fast Rise of Online Lottery Betting in the UK
Lotteries in the UK was first traced during the Victorian era. Since then lotteries have come a lot and nowadays, they are governed by the National Lottery Commission and supervised by the Gambling Commission. The advantage with most UK lotteries is there are high winning chances but they are only available to UK residents. Therefore, you’ll have to be physically present to buy the ticket or claim your award. This law applies to even online and on-site lotteries.
The participants of online lotteries in the UK have far wider demographics. It’s split equally between men and women with 1/6 of 18-25 years old entering lotteries at least once a month. 1/3 of youths aged 25-34 buy a lottery ticket while of adults of 35 years and above buy a lottery ticket once a month. Studies show that the working-class people rarely take part in lotteries while the middle and upper class are active in lotteries. Also, research further shows that people who enjoy benefits are 4% more likely to join online lotteries.
Many UK residents are now opting to bet on lotto rather than buy lotto tickets. The report notes the incredibly high payouts with these online lotteries such as winning 700 Euros for correctly predicting 3 numbers on an Irish Lotto. The Daily Mirror reported that Sports minister Tracey Crouch is considering bringing laws that will stop UK customers from betting on international lotteries. In her words, she says that “these bets are contrary to the spirit and intention of the prohibition in the Gambling Act”.
Also, Camelot the company behind popular lotteries through its spokesman welcomed the government’s plans to prohibit third-party betting on some lotteries. The company blames third-party lottery operators for not enlightening their customers on whether they are betting, gaming or entering a lottery.
The rise of online gambling in the UK has been attributed to several factors such as the rise in technology and ease of access. With online gambling, UK residents can access multiple international lotteries with higher payouts. And, Lottoland is the industry frontrunner among the third-party gambling operators that offer bets on the outcome of international lotteries.But despite its fast rise, there have been challenges from the government and other influential sectors. Thought the online lottery industry is resilient and it’s expected that it continues rising as a multi-billion euros industry.