The U.K. Gambling Commission surveyed 8,000 adults and published its 2008 report. The main finding was that the incidence of remote gaming has remained unchanged since last year. 8.8% of the respondents said that they had engaged in at least one form of remote gaming in the previous month.
This is the same proportion as was determined in 2007. Remote gambling includes gambling through a computer, mobile phone or interactive or digital TV. This result was unexpected because since September 2007 online gambling organizations were permitted to advertise on television. Therefore the incidence of remote gaming was expected to increase.
The U.K. Gambling Commission Report also profiled the average remote gaming player as a male between the age of 18 and 44. Though the proportion of female players has increased marginally from 6.0% in 2007 to 6.5% in 2008. 6.9% of all adults surveyed had used a computer, laptop or handheld device, 2.3% had used a mobile phone and 2.0% had used an interactive or digital TV.