As a leading online casino review portal, we wanted to explore the attitudes towards online gambling and bonuses across the UK.
As conversations around gambling regulation and responsible play continue to gain traction in the UK, we wanted to set out to better understand public opinion – what reassures users, what concerns them and how casino bonus offers impact user behaviour.
In April, we commissioned a survey so we could reveal Brits’ overall online gambling use, their experience with bonuses, how they feel about the regulations and fairness of online gambling platforms and their perceptions of online gambling platforms.
Usage Patterns & Bonus Awareness
To explore the usage of online gambling platforms across the UK, respondents were asked a series of questions on how often they use the platforms, the types of online gambling they take part in the most, and if they claim bonuses.
Overall, 65% of Brits claim that they rarely use online gambling sites, whilst 19% say they use the platforms occasionally.
34-44 year olds are most likely to use these online casino sites multiple times a week, with 9% claiming so – this was closely followed by the next age bracket, 45-54, with 8%.
The youngest bracket, 18-24, was the least likely to use the sites multiple times a week, with only 5% saying so. The youngest respondents were also the most likely to only use the sites rarely, with 76% claiming that they only use gambling sites less than once a month.
Three-quarters of British females (75%) claim that they rarely use online gambling sites, compared to just over half (52%) of men.
Those who are self-employed are most likely to use gambling sites multiple times a week, with 12% saying so; this was followed by those who are unemployed, with 11%.
Sports betting is the most common form of online gambling, with 42% of respondents saying that this is the type of gambling they partake in most often. It was also the most popular type of gambling across all age ranges, except for the two oldest brackets (55-64, 65+), whose most popular choice was ‘other, which can include the likes of the lottery and horse betting.
‘Other’ was also the most popular type of online gambling amongst women, with 34% saying so, whilst sports betting was the most popular amongst men, at 59%.
Almost three in five (59%) Brits have claimed a welcome bonus or promotional offer from an online gambling site. However, even more respondents (63%) claim that they rarely use casino betting bonuses outside of these welcome bonuses.
Only 3% of survey respondents claim that they use bonuses almost every time they gamble, whilst just over a quarter (26%) use them ‘occasionally’.
For those who have and do use bonuses, they most frequently find them directly on the gambling site, with 64% saying so. This was followed by 26% claiming they find them through social media or ads, and 13% saying they find them on bonus comparison sites.
Understanding Bonus Awareness
Even some of the most seasoned gamblers can find casino bonus terms confusing.
Over a quarter (26%) of Brits find online casino bonus terms ‘confusing‘ whilst 16% claim they don’t understand them at all.
35-44 year olds are the most clear on the terms, with 18% saying their understanding was ‘very clear‘ – almost half of 25-34 year olds (48%) say their understanding is ‘somewhat clear‘.
Men have a clearer understanding of the terms, with 21% claiming they had a ‘very clear‘ understanding, compared to 13% of women.
Alongside confusion about the terms of bonuses, over half (56%) of Brits have been surprised by the conditions attached to a bonus, but 42% did claim that they considered casino bonuses valuable to their gambling experience.
Bonuses exist to help ‘retain’ casino customers, and though many customers find themselves confused sometimes by the terms of them, over half (55%) of customers have felt encouraged to spend more money due to bonus offers.
Confidence In Regulation & Industry Fairness
The casino and gambling industry is often viewed with controversy, prompting a stronger regulatory focus. However, there are plenty of systems in place, especially within the UK, to ensure online gambling platforms are properly regulated.
Despite this, many people understandably still have their doubts. Overall, only 9% of Brits are ‘very confident‘ that gambling sites are properly regulated, whilst 41% claimed they were ‘somewhat confident‘ and 43% said they weren’t confident at all.
45-55 year olds had the most confidence in sites being properly regulated, with 55% saying they were confident, whilst 65% of the eldest generation, 65+, claimed to not be confident in the regulation at all.
Brits also have their doubts in regards to the UK Gambling Commission doing enough to protect customers, with only 19% saying they believed they do enough, 28% weren’t sure, and 53% claimed they don’t. Over two-thirds of the respondents (67%) claim they don’t even know how to check if a gambling site is licensed in the UK.
Again, unfortunately, Brits also do have doubts when it comes to bonus comparison and affiliate sites giving fair and unbiased information. Over half of Brits (54%) claimed they can’t trust them, whilst 31% claimed they weren’t sure if they could or not.
Regarding concerns around gambling sites, the primary concern is addiction and gambling harm (32%), followed by misleading bonus terms (21%) and underage access (17%)
Perceptions & Marketing
Overall, 45% of Brits have a negative perception of gambling sites, whilst 46% claim their view is ‘neutral‘.
Younger generations are more likely to have a positive view, 10% of 25-34 year olds claim to have a positive view on the sites, and this was also the same for the 35-44 age group. The eldest age bracket, 65+, was the least likely, with only 4% saying they had a positive view.
42% of Brits feel that bonuses are advertised fairly and honestly ‘sometimes‘ whilst 31% believe they aren’t at all. 71% believe that bonus promotions should be more strictly regulated, compared to the 9% who believe that they don’t.
When asked what would be their biggest confidence booster in regards to using online gambling platforms, the most popular answer amongst Brits was ‘clearer terms and conditions‘ at 22%. This was followed by stronger licensing and UK-based customer support, both at 15%.
The survey has offered a comprehensive snapshot of public sentiment around online gambling and bonus use in the UK. Whilst it remains popular among Brits, there are widespread concerns regarding regulation, transparency and trust in both operators and affiliate platforms.
Despite the majority of Brits only engaging with online gambling occasionally, there is still a significant knowledge gap when it comes to understanding bonus terms, identifying licensed sites, and evaluating promotional offers. Consumers’ trust is further challenged by doubts about fairness and the impartiality of bonus comparison tools.
Encouragingly, however, there is clear feedback on what would boost confidence: transparency, stronger oversight, and clearer communication.
Methodology
The survey was conducted in April 2025 with 1,000 UK adults.
