Since Roman times, betting has been a form of entertainment that people cannot get enough of in almost every part of the world. The gambling revenue in the U.K. alone sits at around £14 billion.
The Scottish Have Big Love for Gambling
Scotland is known as the Vegas of the U.K, due to the high number of adults that bet even one bet every year.
In fact, in 2020, a study conducted by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), found that over 68% of Scottish people had placed a bet during that year, compared to only 52% of people residing in London. The study was conducted to look at how people gamble in nine other regions of England, including Scotland and Wales.
Even the UK average for the nation was 5% lower than the Scottish average, sitting at 63% over the course of a year.
And the Scots don’t discriminate – online gambling received its fair share of attention, especially when it came to sports betting, with the Scottish average sitting at 10% and the national average sitting at 7%.
The Scottish also love their Fixed-odds Betting terminals(FOBT), with 5% playing these – matching the numbers of East England and Yorkshire.
Gambling That can Be Done in Scotland
Bingo
Everyone who has tried their hand at Bingo loves it, and the Scottish are no exception.
Their variation, however, is called Housie. In this version, the card consists of three rows with nine spaces in every row.
In each row, there are only five spaces that have numbers. Every row is a different game.
The aim is to get five numbers in a straight line of a specific game. The final game played is the third one and the player who gets all fifteen spots covered in this game wins.
Lottery
The UK National Lottery is played in Scotland, with prizes that have amassed EuroMillions payouts of up to £170 million – quite easily one of the biggest lotteries in the world.
The local lottery is also available for those who want to try their luck on some smaller, but equally fun, cash prizes.
There is also a growing popularity amongst the Scottish to bet on the NBA (National Basketball Association) as well as Poker.
Sports Betting
Betting shops can be found throughout Scotland, and sports gambling is extremely popular here. However, another thing that is played regularly are FOBTs.
Here you can bet on virtual horse racing, Bingo, Slots and Roulette.
2005 Gambling Act
The U.K. Parliament voted in the Gambling Act in 2005, which includes the areas of Scotland, Wales and England, but not Northern Ireland.
The act ensures that there will always be a U.K. Gambling Commission that will oversee all wagering and gambling in these countries. The act also allows local authorities to change laws surrounding gambling in their provinces, but everything has to be passed through the UKGC. They are the regulating body across the United Kingdom and make the final decisions.
The act is there to supervise all gambling that happens in the U.K. and had to be amended with the advent of online casinos.
It makes sure there are no illegal activities occurring anywhere where gambling is happening, be it online or land-based, that betting and gambling is regulated in a way that is open and fair, and that no susceptible or underage people are hurt through gambling.
The 2016 Scotland Act
This act conferred more power to the Scottish government, allowing them to make decisions that could differ from what the U.K. Parliament had decided.
The biggest amendment was regarding Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, which are considered a massive problem in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament could now decide on the number of FOBTs allowed in an establishment, or even decide if a place should have any machines.
What is important to know is that it is not only legal to gamble in Scotland, it’s completely regulated. So you can have fun knowing there are no issues, and no illegal activity will be happening, so it is safe and secure.
Author Bio: Vinod Gill is a writer who specializes in writing content on Sports and Gaming subjects. He is a Digital Marketing Consultant, Blogger, and Co-Founder of Journalreporter.