Malta’s residents spent nearly 3% of their total household spending on gambling products in 2015, according to a new survey by the local gambling regulator.

On Wednesday, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) published the results of its first survey into the gambling habits of local residents. The report (an abridged version of which can be read here) is based on 1k responses to a survey conducted in January 2016 covering gambling activity over the preceding 12 months.

The report indicates that 195,300 Maltese residents engaged in some form of real-money gambling in 2015, representing nearly 56% of the adult population. Total gambling spending was around €125m, equal to 2.8% of total household consumption expenditure and around 2.4% of average gross household income. Gambling accounted for roughly one-quarter of recreational and cultural activity spending.

The National Lottery claimed the biggest slice of gambling spending at 41%, well above the 28% spent at gaming parlors/outlets. The rest of the pie was divided between casinos (16%) and the bingo-derivative Tombola (13%), while online gambling and ‘games with friends’ each managed only a 1% ranking.