The UK Gambling Commission released the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) on Thursday, which largely showed that gambling participation has remained stable in recent years. However, young people aged 18-24 years old are gambling less, according to the data.
The legal gambling age in the UK is 18 years old, but it appears fewer young people are starting to gamble at this age.
In the trend report, looking at rates of gambling participation from 2023 to 2025, the data revealed that 48% of 18-24-year-olds have gambled at some point in the last 12 months. That is down from 54% in 2023 and 52% in 2024.
It is also considerably less than older generations. The biggest gambling group was 35- to 44-year-olds, with 66% of those in this age category gambling in some form.
Overall, the Commission noted that gambling participation was relatively stable, but there was a slight downward trend compared to recent years. Across all age groups, 61% gambled in 2023, 60% in 2024, and 59% in 2025.
Young People Becoming More Aware of Gambling Risks
Gamstop, the UK’s online gambling self-exclusion service, noted that an increasing number of under-25-year-olds are aware of the dangers of gambling.
In February, it reported a 40% year‑on‑year increase in the number of 16–24-year-olds signing up to self‑exclude. Prior to the World Cup, self-exclusions reached an all-time high, with 12,236 sign-ups in May.
The biggest increase was again among young people, with under-25s accounting for around a third of all self-exclusions. This was an increase of 26% from the first half of 2025. Across all age groups, there was a 16% increase year-on-year.
“The fact that self-exclusion has again increased significantly year-on-year shows that users are continuing to find it an invaluable and flexible tool to manage their gambling, particularly younger consumers,” said Gamstop CEO, Fiona Palmer.
Campaigns Having Impact
Over the last five years, Palmer noted a 75% increase in the number of young people self-excluding. Ygam, a charity that works with Gamstop to prevent gambling-related harms among young people, said its campaigns are having a clear impact.
Last year, Ygam launched the Silence the Stigma campaign in partnership with NUS Charity, encouraging students to recognize the signs of gambling harm.
Nearly six out of 10 (58%) students who gamble say they are aware of the gambling support available, while nearly seven out of 10 (69%) say they are confident in accessing it.
The charity noted that more students cite social media as a key influence on their gambling and called for more work to focus on these digital spaces. The UK has banned gambling ads targeting young people through social media channels, such as YouTube.
“It’s clear that the digital world students are so immersed in is increasingly influencing gambling behaviours, and we must all be responsive to these new and emerging risks to ensure students have access to the education and support needed to safeguard them,” said Ygam CEO Emily Tofield.
“Ygam is urging universities and student unions to recognise and address gambling harms with the same focus and seriousness as other commonly discussed risky behaviours, including drinking and drug use.”
Fewer Gamblers, Higher Stakes
In March, the Annual Student Gambling Survey, jointly commissioned by Gamstop and Ygam, reported 65% of university students have gambled over the past 12 months.
This was a decrease from 78% in 2022, but an increase from under 50% in 2025. The survey also showed that gambling spending is increasing. Average weekly spend increased from £33.77 ($45) in 2022 to an all-time high of £50.33 ($68) this year.
Ygam pointed to data showing that students are increasingly gambling to make money as inflation rises. The Commission’s survey found that respondents who cited “to make money” as a reason for gambling had considerably higher rates of problem gambling and were more likely to gamble more frequently and on multiple products.
Rates of Problem Gambling Up for Debate
In the GSGB this year, 2.4% of respondents matched the criteria for problem gambling, down from 2.7% last year.
Critics, including the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), say that the number is inflated as gamblers are more likely to respond to the survey. The BGC instead cites figures from an NHS Health Survey, which indicated that 0.7% of the population suffers from problem gambling.
In response to the criticism, the Commission stated, “The GSGB and previous NHS-led surveys use different methodologies and should not be treated as directly comparable. We would encourage policymakers to consider the GSGB alongside other evidence, including operator data, treatment data, and wider research, to build the fullest possible picture of gambling behaviour and gambling-related harm.”
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The UK Gambling Commission released the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) on Thursday, which largely showed that gambling participation has remained stable in recent years. However, young people aged 18-24 years old are gambling less, according to the data. The legal gambling age in the UK is 18 years old, but it appears fewer
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