Gambling websites more popular than Facebook in the UK

In only a few years, the social network Facebook has managed to become the second most viewed website in the world, after the search engine Google.
But a recent study published by the Nielsen Media Research institute shows that Brits more often visit gambling websites than Facebook.
Facebook attracted only 2.2 million viewers in 2009, whereas online gambling parlours attracted no less than 3.2 million.
They prove to be an up-and-coming market, with a yearly increase of over 40%.
In the UK, the average gambler is middle-class and earns around £30.000 a year.
53% are male, so the share of women is still quite consequential.
The use of gambling websites is becoming more and more common for all profiles.
However, the steepest increase concerns the wealthiest households, middle-age men looking for a fresh start in life andd the most educated web users.
This can seem surprising since in the beginning of online gambling, in the mid-90s, the most common gamblers had low income or were close to death.
This change of profile can explain the evolution in special offers.
Online casinos are a key sector in the growth of online gambling in the UK.
Whereas these websites used to offer an average of 18 different games, they now commonly offer over a hundred different games.
On top of this, they are often inspired from huge brand names like The Lord of the Rings, Gladiator or Lucky Luke, which is attractive to many, isn’t it?