Findings fuel fears of more intense betting or migration to riskier products, such as online casino games

People who gamble regularly online are doing so just as often or more frequently during the coronavirus lockdown, despite the lack of sporting fixtures, according to the first significant survey of betting habits during the crisis.

The findings, in a Survation poll, will fuel concerns that a broader fall in part-time gambling is masking more intense betting among problem gamblers, or a move towards riskier products, such as online casino games.

Overall, respondents to the survey, of more than 1,000 people, were more likely to have reduced their gambling since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, which has forced the cancellation of sports such as football and horse racing.

However, regular gamblers said they were gambling more. A quarter of those who typically bet at least once a week said they were still doing so, while 28% had increased their activity, and 11% said they were gambling a lot more.

The absence of opportunities to bet on sport indicate that they are resorting to online casino games and slot machines, which carry higher rates of addiction. Even among casual gamblers, more than half of respondents said they had sustained or increased their level of gambling.

The survey also found that 41% of people who bet had opened a new online account since the pandemic took hold. And more than a third of regular gamblers believed they were either spending too much on the habit, or developing an addiction.

The survey was commissioned by Clean Up Gambling, formed this month by Matt Zarb-Cousin, a recovering gambling addict and former Labour party communications adviser, and backed by a former professional poker player, Derek Webb.

UK minister urges betting firms to do more for problem gamblers Read more

The duo have previously proved influential in the successful campaign against controversial fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), through the Campaign for Fairer Gambling group.

“There is mounting evidence that one of the big winners from the coronavirus pandemic will be online gambling companies, which is why the government must make good on its promise to review all of our gambling laws as soon as possible” said Zarb-Cousin.

Matt Gaskell, clinical director for a network of NHS gambling disorder clinics in the north of England, agreed that the findings indicated that a government review should trigger significant changes to regulation.

“As well as the conditions of the lockdown, what we are seeing are the harmful consequences of ‘light touch’ regulation and the responsible gambling industry mantra,” he said.

“We urgently need measures to protect people gambling more than they can afford to lose, a stop to the ubiquitous advertising and marketing and a comprehensive review of the Gambling Act of 2005. Forget self-regulation – we need the government to step forward.”

Separately, an industry-wide scheme called GamStop, which allows people to ban themselves from betting, has seen a 15% increase in former gamblers asking to end their self-exclusion since lockdown began.

The increase may in part be explained by rapid early growth in registrations with the scheme, leading to a rise in the number of people now eligible to lift six-month or one-year suspensions.

Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk

The Betting & Gaming Council (BGC), an industry trade body, has said that overall levels of gambling have fallen since the lockdown, adding that its members have put in place extra safeguards to protect vulnerable people who might be tempted to gamble during isolation.

But financial results from several gambling firms have indicated that, while overall betting levels are down, this is being partially offset by rising stakes on casino and slot machine games.

Nigel Huddleston, the sports minister, wrote to the five largest gambling firms and the BGC earlier this month, urging them to go further in their efforts to protect customers from harm.