“The impact of the 2012 Olympic Games on the spectator sport market in general terms of value and profile is clearly positive, but the event is also creating a variety of challenges and opportunities for individual sports according to their calendars and character.

Growing or sustaining attendance could also become more difficult should unemployment remain high and consumer confidence remain low, while the declining presence of live sport on free-to-air TV may create a need to find new platforms through which to maintain wider awareness.”

Operators’ increasing reliance on the rising profitability of gaming machines will pressure them to find new ways of sustaining that trend, which could in turn distract them from solving the long-standing problems of an OTC segment in which horseracing’s decline continues.

2012 will be a year of opportunity in delivering two of the major events – football’s European Championships and the London Olympics – that can attract the occasional bettors the industry needs to convert into more regular shop visitors, while 2013 could see some legislative and regulatory movement in the industry’s favour too.”

The UK’s land-based gambling market remains in recovery mode following the three-pronged hit it took in the final years of the last decade through the smoking ban, Gambling Act and economic recession.

That recovery remains patchy, fragile and vulnerable to the effect of a prolonged period of economic austerity and/or a return to recession in the short to medium term. However, a number of factors including venue development, technological advance and consumer interest are also creating underlying conditions for longer-term improvement, particularly if the government delivers on a number of proposed legislation and taxation reforms. This report assesses current trends in UK adults’ gambling habits, examines the factors influencing current and future patterns of interest in betting and gaming in land-based venues and identifies ways in which operators and brands can respond to the main themes emerging.

“Three in four adults say they are always on the lookout for special offers and deals when it comes to visiting leisure venues and this becomes even more of a factor among the heaviest users. It is important for venues looking to protect their market position to roll their sleeves up and jump in with deals of their own if they are not to lose custom to their competitors.”

– Michael Oliver, Senior Leisure and Media Analyst

This report looks at British lifestyles in 2011. It looks at the impact of the continued economic situation in the wake of the recession. Unemployment and uncertainty in the housing market as well as low interest rates continue to impact on consumer confidence levels but how does this play out across the FMCG markets and other services such as travel and finance? What does this mean for the next five years?

The report also looks at British lifestyles through the eyes of the consumer. In which sectors do people notice price hikes the most and how does this shape the way in which they shop in those sectors? How are shopping habits changing as consumers adjust to the rising cost of living in combination with their new or strained financial circumstances and what impact does this have on how happy they are? British Lifestyles 2011 also delves into the impact of money on happiness and the implications of this on impulse purchasing.