Types of gambling

Almost three quarters of the adult population in the United Kingdom gamble in some way each year.

  • Betting

    A bet is a gamble in which a player stakes money on the outcome of an event, for example, who will win the World Cup or a general election.

  • Bingo

    Bingo is a game of chance where players receive a set of numbers on a card in return for a stake and they mark them off as a caller announces numbers as they are drawn randomly.

  • Casino games

    Casino games include table, card and machine games played in a casino. They involve playing or staking against a bank. Traditional casino games include roulette, blackjack and poker.

  • Gaming machines

    Fruit machines, fixed odds betting terminals, slot machines, pusher and crane grab machines are all gaming machines. The player generally wins by matching the symbols, usually fruit, on the central line of three reels.

  • Lotteries

    A lottery is a game which people enter by selecting a set of numbers that may match those drawn later for the chance of winning money or prizes.

  • Pools

    In pools betting, players ‘pool’ their stakes and the combined sum, less what the operator takes out, is divided between the winning participants.

  • Spread betting

    Spread betting allows people to bet on sporting events, politics or stock market movements.