MPs and ‘red wall’ voters strongly backing tougher rules on gambling
A major piece of research for the Clean up Gambling campaign finds strong and consistent support by MPs from all parties and voters from all regions, including from Leave dominated areas in the North and Midlands, for tougher restrictions on gambling. Measures supported included:
Limits on how much can be gambled in a single online bet and affordability checks
Banning all advertising and sponsorship which promotes gambling, including in football
Survation’s research includes:
- A representative sample poll of MPs
- National representative polling on attitudes towards gambling
- A large sample of voters in the north and midlands, and of Leave and Remain voters.
Representative sample poll of MPs
70% of Conservative MPs agree that people should be protected from losing more than they can afford, and 92% of Labour MPs.
64% of Conservative MPs agree the industry needs greater regulation, and 92% of Labour MPs.
There is more of a divide on the question of greater restrictions on gambling advertising including in football. On this, 43% of Conservative MPs agree, to 34% disagreeing, while 76% of Labour MPs agree with this, to 13% disagreeing.
On limits to the stakes in online gambling, 68% of Conservative MPs agree there should be stake limits while 87% of Labour MPs agree with this.
Methodology: Online interviews of Members of the UK Parliament, Fieldwork: 26 January – 28 February 2021, Sample size: 103
National representative polling on attitudes towards gambling
The nationally representative attitude survey shows the general public broadly in line with MPs on gambling reform. Although the wording in the questions differ slightly in places, the sentiments match up.
While 80% of MPs believe gambling companies which don’t pay corporation tax in the UK shouldn’t be allowed to operate in UK, 72% of the public believe the same (though the public question refers to taxes in general, not specifying corporation tax).
Both MPs and the public believe by 77% each, there should be stake limits in online gambling.
A total ban on gambling advertising, sponsorship and promotion is supported by 52% of the public (21% opposed), while MPs believe there should be restrictions on advertising and sponsorship, particularly in football by 60%, to 23% opposed.
Methodology: Online interviews with UK adults, aged 18 plus, Fieldwork: 5th-6th February 2021. Sample size, 1003.
A large sample of voters in the north and midlands, and of Leave and Remain voters
There have been suggestions that issues such as reforms and restrictions to gambling regulation is a social /cultural issue which would have more sympathy with ‘Remain’ type voters and in areas such as London. To assess whether there was any validity in this argument, we compiled larger sub samples from our nationally representative polling and applied it to the following categories:
- All Midlands voters
- All North voters
- All Remain voters
- All Leave voters.
For each of these sub samples, we applied the following three attitude questions.
- To protect consumers, there should be affordability checks for those who want to bet more than £100 a month
- All gambling advertising, promotion and sponsorship should be banned
- There is enough money in football that no club should have to rely on gambling sponsorship
- To protect consumers, there should be affordability checks for those who want to bet more than £100 a month
Net agree/net disagree (%)
National representative – 72/10
Midlands – 72/9
North – 69/12
Remain – 73/9
Leave – 72/12
MPs (note question worded slightly differently as part of different polling project) – 79/14
2. All gambling advertising, promotion and sponsorship should be banned
Net agree/net disagree (%)
National representative – 52/21
Midlands – 49/22
North – 49/12
Remain – 51/20
Leave – 49/22
3. There is enough money in football that no club should have to rely on gambling sponsorship
Net agree/net disagree (%)
National representative – 67/9
Midlands – 69/9
North – 65/10
Remain – 65/10
Leave – 70/9
MPs (note question worded slightly differently as part of different polling project) – 60-/23
Summary conclusion
The attitudes nationally, and with sub groups along social/cultural and geographic lines, towards gambling reform show a level of consistency, not mirrored with many other social issues. The suggestion that Leave voters or voters in the ‘red wall’ areas would be more opposed to tighter gambling regulation is not borne out in this study. In fact, on the most high profile of issues – banning of gambling sponsorship for football teams, voters who backed Leave in 2016 have quite a significant lead in support for this measure.
Similarly, our attitude poll of MPs on gambling reform shows MPs largely in step with the general public.
Where there is a slight difference is in break downs of party voting among the general public. On the whole, while there is very little difference in attitudes between Labour and Conservative voters on gambling reform, Conservative MPs are slightly less likely than Conservative voters to back reform, while Labour MPs are slightly more likely than Labour voters to back reforms.
Methodologies and data tables
- Midlands methodology: Fieldwork, 2nd December 2020 – 6th February 2021, adults aged 18 plus living in Midlands, Sample size 689.
- North methodology: Fieldwork, 2nd December 2020 – 6th February 2021, adults aged 18 plus living in northern England, Sample size 992.
- Remain methodology: Fieldwork, 2nd December 2020 – 6th February 2021, adults aged 18 plus living in UK, voted Remain in the 2016 referendum, Sample size 1631.
- Leave methodology: Fieldwork, 2nd December 2020 – 6th February 2021, adults aged 18 plus living in UK, voted Leave in 2016 referendum. Sample size 1563.
Data tables
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