The latest study from the gaming regulator, UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), has found that the country’s problem gambling rate is still hovering around 0.2%. The data implies that the authorities may be devoting excessive resources to address problem gambling.

The UKGC and other organizations’ past research has revealed that the prevalence of problem gambling among British adults has declined over the last couple of years. The rate has gradually stayed at the current level, down from 0.4% 18 months ago.

According to the UKGC, the low rate of problem gambling is not a result of the operators’ proactive actions, but the UKGC’s attempts to further regulate the market. Despite the fact that there is evidence to suggest that the current policies are effective, it still wants more restrictive ones.

While the outcomes of various studies have been different, the problem gambling rate estimate among the adults in the UK has remained constant over the previous 12 months, between 0.2% and 0.3%.

“These figures showing that problem gambling has fallen once again will no doubt come as a profound disappointment to anti-gambling prohibitionists, who like to vastly overstate the issue,” said Michael Dugher, CEO of Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), as quoted by Casino.org.

According to the BGC’s report, almost half of the 22.5 million individuals in the UK bet on something every month. This could involve purchasing a lottery ticket, gambling in a casino, betting on a sporting event, etc. Though the figure shows a slight increase in activity, there has been no considerable rise in problem gambling.

The UKGC recently reported that although the number of bets placed increased by 17%, and there were three million more registered accounts, the gambling revenue fell by 8%. The gambling industry provides over 111,000 jobs and adds $8.57 billion to the UK’s economy.

Meanwhile, the biggest gambling measures being proposed by the UK government are set to be introduced through a new white paper, which has faced a number of delays for a number of reasons already. Subsequently, consultations on the same between various stakeholders are expected to happen.