The Complete Guide to Scotland’s Gambling Scene

Whisky distilleries, bagpipes, rich history and men in kilts – that’s what Scotland is all about, or at least, so it seems. Yet, there is something new on the horizon, one new activity that keeps highlanders entertained.

Namely, Scotland is becoming one of the British gaming hotspots. With bookie shops, slot clubs and online casinos popping up left and right, more than 1.1m people in Scotland gambled in the past 365 days. Choosing to play slot for real money is now one of the most popular ways of spending free time, so let’s take a sneak peek at what the Scottish gaming scene looks like! The UKGC and The Scottish Parliament have the data, and we know how to read it!

Who Gambles More: Men vs Women
The battle of the sexes is pretty much alive on the Scottish gaming scene, however, this time there is not much difference in how often each sex plays. Before we get to who plays more, we’ll just say that 7 out of 10 adults in Scotland placed a bet in the past year. Quite a solid number for a nation fighting the stereotype of being cheap!

74% of all adult Scotsmen gambled, compared to 67% of all women. Boys take the lead for now, but knowing all about the prejudice women face, it is natural to see their numbers be a bit lower. One in ten adults bought a lottery ticket in the past 12 months, or to put it
differently – 1 in 8 men and 1 in every 25 women played lotto.

What Games Rule the Scottish Gambling Community?
Obviously, lottery is insanely popular, yet not all forms of it experience the same level of hype. Scottish people are most keen on the National Lottery, and according to the research conducted by UKGC, 45.7% of all gamblers played it at least once in the past year. Scratch
cards take second place in the lottery category with 21.6%, while other lotteries have to share the remaining audience – 16.6%.

Lottery aside, there are also other forms of gambling we can’t seem to resist. Sports betting proved to be somewhat of a national sport, with every 10th gambler being involved in it at least once. Traditional sports wagering is followed closely by slot machines. These are simple yet fun games that help players explore new realms and feel like heroes. The third place is reserved for bingo, a genre dominating the social gaming scene.

Do We Play Online at All?
Don’t you think that us Scots can’t handle all the challenges that new technologies throw at as. In fact, online gambling is on the rise! The data provided by The National Gambling Treatment Service shows that 70% of all gamblers enjoy their hobby online. 42% of online
punters prefer sports, 39% enjoy flashy video slots, and 26% put their money on classic table games.

In the future, the number of online gamers will only grow, due to the convenience and accessibility of online casinos and bookies.