Image Problem in U.K.

With years of attacks on the gaming industry to bolster opinion, it’s no surprise that the majority of British citizens have a negative view of gaming. In a monthly tracker, the YouGovUK website has consistently shown that a vast majority have an unfavorable or very unfavorable view of gaming, while less than 1 percent of respondents have a very favorable view.

Contrast this with the U.S., where the annual State of the States survey by the American Gaming Association shows that at least 50 percent of Americans have a favorable view of gaming. Gaming observers in the U.K., however, say the opinion isn’t in step with reality since studies have consistently shown the problem gambling rate in the U.K. is only 0.2 percent to 0.3 percent.