Gambling Industry: Contribution to GDP (Hansard, 31 July 1997)

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to reply.

Letter to Lord Burnham from the Director of the Office for National Statistics, Mr. T. Holt dated 31 July 1997.

I have been asked to reply as Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on what, in percentage terms, the gaming industry in the United Kingdom (including bingo, betting shops and gaming machine arcades, but excluding the National Lottery) contributes to the United Kingdom's GDP.

The most recent assessment of the contribution of the gambling industry to GDP is that which shows its contribution to Consumers' Expenditure. At current market prices, including the National Lottery, Consumers' Expenditure in 1996 on betting and gaming (£6.4 billion) comprised 0.9 per cent of GDP (£742.3 billion).

Estimates of Consumers' Expenditure on betting and gaming excluding the National Lottery are not published separately. However, information on National Lottery ticket sales and prizes awarded is available from OFLOT, the regulatory body.