Report
Gambling Survey for Great Britain - Annual report (2024): Official statistics
Gambling Survey for Great Britain - Annual report (2024): Official statistics
Headline statistics
Gambling participation
In 2024 (year 2), 60 percent (95 percent CI: 58.7 to 60.8) of adults aged 18 and over participated in any form of gambling in the past 12 months and 48 percent (95 percent CI: 46.7 to 48.6) had participated in gambling in the past 4 weeks. These estimates remained stable compared to 2023 (year 1), where 61 percent (95 percent CI: 59.1 to 62.3) of adults participated in any form of gambling in the past 12 months and 48 percent (95 percent CI: 46.6 to 49.4) had participated in gambling in the past 4 weeks.
When those who only participated in lottery draws were excluded, gambling participation was 41 percent in the past 12 months and 28 percent in the past 4 weeks.
In 2024, male participants (51 percent, 95 percent CI: 50.0 to 52.4) were more likely to have participated in gambling in the past 4 weeks than female participants (44 percent, 95 percent CI: 43.2 to 45.4), remaining consistent with the pattern found in 2023 (53 percent of male participants, 95 percent CI: 50.6 to 54.3 and 44 percent of female participants, 95 percent CI: 42.2 to 45.4).
Male participants (31 percent) were also more likely to have gambled on something other than lottery draws alone than female participants (25 percent).
Participants aged 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 were most likely to take part in any form of gambling in the past 4 weeks (55 percent, 95 percent CI: 52.3 to 57.1, and 52 , 95 percent CI: 50.4 to 54.1, respectively) and participants in the youngest and oldest age groups were least likely (36 percent, 95 percent CI: 33.3 to 39.7, of those aged 18 to 24, and 42 percent, 95 percent CI: 40.0 to 44.0, of those aged 75 and over). These estimates remained stable compared to 2023 (year 1), where 53 percent (95 percent CI: 50.3 to 56.1) and 54 percent (95 percent CI: 50.9 to 56.1) of those aged 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 had gambled in the past 4 weeks, and 38 percent (95 percent CI: 33.3 to 43.2) and 41 percent (95 percent CI: 37.4 to 44.1) of those aged 18 to 24 and 75 and over had gambled in the past 4 weeks.
When those who only participated in lottery draws were excluded, gambling participation in the past 4 weeks was highest for those aged 25 to 34 years (36 percent) and subsequently decreased with age to 14 percent for those aged 75 years and over.
The most common gambling activities in the past 4 weeks among all participants were:
- buying tickets for the National Lottery (31 percent)
- buying tickets for other charity lotteries (16 percent)
- buying scratchcards (13 percent).
This varied by age group and sex, with the above statement holding true for those aged 35 and above and for female participants, but not for those aged 18 to 34 and for male participants.
Participants who gambled in the past 4 weeks took part in a mean of 2.4 different types of gambling activities.
The mean number of gambling activities participants took part in in the past 4 weeks was highest among those aged 18 to 24 with 3.3 activities and subsequently decreased with age to 1.8 activities among those aged 75 or over.
A higher proportion of participants gambled online in the past 4 weeks than in person (that is to gamble at a venue or purchase lottery tickets or scratchcards from shops or other vendors), with 38 percent participating in online gambling and 29 percent participating in in person gambling. However, much of this difference was accounted for by online purchases of lottery tickets. When lottery draw only players were excluded, 16 percent of participants gambled online, and 18 percent gambled in person.
Male participants (41 percent) were more likely to have taken part in online gambling in the past 4 weeks than female participants (34 percent) and to have gambled on online activities other than lottery draws (21 percent for males and 12 percent for females).
Male participants (30 percent) were also more likely to have gambled in person in the past 4 weeks than female participants (28 percent), although the proportion was the same when lottery draw only players were excluded (18 percent).
Further details can be found in the accompanying set of data tables for the GSGB Annual Report 2024, specifically tables B.1 to B.13.
Experiences of and reasons for gambling
When asked to rate their feelings towards gambling out of 10, where 10 represented that they loved it, 0 represented that they hated it, and 5 represented the neutral mid-point:
- 42 percent of adults who gambled in the past 12 months rated the last time they gambled with a positive score of between 6 and 10
- 21 percent gave a negative score of between 0 and 4
- 37 percent gave a score of 5, expressing that they neither loved nor hated it
The pattern was similar when those who only participated in lottery draws were excluded, with a higher proportion giving a positive score (49 percent gave a positive score between 6 and 10, 19 percent a negative score between 0 and 4, and 32 percent a neutral score of 5).
The most common reasons for adults to participate in gambling at least sometimes were:
- for the chance of winning big money (85 percent)
- because gambling is fun (72 percent)
- to make money (57 percent)
- because gambling is exciting (56 percent).
Reasons for gambling is explored in further detail within the Investigating the relationship between reasons for gambling and different gambling activities report.
Consequences from own gambling
Gambling can lead to a range of adverse consequences. This includes the experience of gambling disorder (a recognised health condition (opens in new tab)) but can also include wide ranging adverse consequences experienced either by the person who gambles or by their family, friends, and wider social networks. These consequences range in severity and include negative effects on physical and mental health, relationship discord and breakdown, and financial difficulties.
In the next section, data is first presented on the adverse consequences of gambling as measured using the  Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) (opens in new tab). This is followed by information on a wider range of adverse consequences from gambling which are not included within the PGSI (for example, conflict with family, social isolation, relationship breakdown, experience of violence and abuse, and suicide ideation or attempts).
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GSGB Annual report 2024 - Problem Gambling Severity Index
Last updated: 2 October 2025
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