The Gambling Commission conducts a quarterly study on the prevalence of remote gambling in the UK. The summary of four quarterly surveys on remote gambling participation shows that 8.8% of the total 8,000 adults surveyed have participated in at least one remote gambling activity (note: this data covers the quarterly surveys beginning June 2007 to March 20008). If the number of people who participated solely in remote National Lottery games is to be excluded, results show that 5.1% of the survey respondents have engaged in other forms of remote gambling.

More to the point, online gambling is the most popular type of remote gambling, according to the survey. Specifically, 3.9% of those surveyed have admitted that they have used their laptop, PDA and desktop computers to gamble online – and that’s not counting those who gambled online using WAP technology on their mobile phones.

The survey also touched on the specific forms of remote gambling. The survey shows that 1% played casino type games, 1.4% played poker, 0.8% played slots, and 0.5% played Keno and other virtual games. All these game forms can be found and played in most UK online casinos.

It is clear then that online gambling is a fully accepted form of gambling in the UK. Online casinos are also getting their fair share of traffic from remote gamblers in the UK. However, online casino gaming in the UK is not as popular as it is in the United States. This could change, however, if online casinos in the UK persist in their efforts to promote their services to UK consumers. Local marketing has become especially vital since the passing of the UIGEA.