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Report

Young People and Gambling 2022: Official statistics

Gambling Commission report produced by Ipsos on young people and their gambling behaviour, attitudes and awareness in 2022.

Contents


Setting gambling in the context of other activities

Young people were also asked about the types of activities they most like to do in their spare time. Listening to music (37 percent) and meeting up with friends (35 percent) were most frequently mentioned.

However, the use of devices shapes the way in which many young people spend their free time, with over a third (35 percent) playing games on their phone, iPad, laptop or on a console. For boys it is the most popular activity, with 57 percent playing games on devices in their spare time compared with just 12 percent of girls. It also stands out as the most popular activity amongst 11 year olds, the youngest age group in the survey (46 percent compared with 35 percent overall).

The most popular activity mentioned by girls was listening to music (47 percent compared with 26 percent of boys). Girls were also more likely to report spending time on social media than boys (37 percent compared with 22 percent of boys). Overall, three in ten young people (30 percent) said that spending time on social media was the activity that they liked to do most in their free time.

Taking part in team sports (23 percent), chatting on the phone with friends and family (21 percent), exercising and/or keeping fit (16 percent), watching programmes on TV (16 percent) and reading books (11 percent) were activities which made it into the list of top ten popular activities, as shown as follows in Figure 21.

Figure 21: In your spare time, what are the things that you like to do most - Top ten responses

A bar chart showing the top ten activities young people like to do in their spare time. Data from the chart is provided within the following table.

Figure 21 information

GC_SPARE. In your spare time, what are the things that you like to do most?
Base: All 11 to 16 year olds answering (2,559).
Note: Multiple response question so the percentages in the chart and table do not sum to 100 percent.

Figure 21: In your spare time, what are the things that you like to do most - Top ten responses
Spare time activities – top ten responses Percentage (multiple response question, therefore answers do not sum to 100 percent)
Listening to music 37%
Meeting up with friends 35%
Playing games on my phone, iPad, laptop or console 35%
Spending time on social media 30%
Spending time with family 23%
Taking part in team sports 23%
Chatting on the phone with friends 21%
Exercising and/or keeping fit 16%
Watching programmes on TV and/or streaming services 16%
Reading 11%
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Setting gambling in the context of other risk-taking behaviours
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Reasons why young people gamble
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