Report

Gambling Survey for Great Britain - Annual report (2025): Official statistics

This report contains findings from the third year (2025) of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB).

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Published
16 July 2026

Last updated
16 July 2026 - Changes

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Appendix A - Online questionnaire part 2

Gambling attitudes questions

(Ask all)

The next set of questions are about gambling advertisement and marketing. By marketing we mean all the different ways that gambling companies use to communicate or promote themselves to people.

Gambling adverts

In the last month, have you seen or heard gambling being promoted in the following ways?

1. Adverts on television
2. Adverts on radio
3. Sponsorship of sports people, teams or events by gambling companies
4. Sponsorship of other TV programmes by gambling companies
5. Adverts for gambling on social media such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media
6. Pop-up adverts online for gambling companies
7. Adverts and promotions from gambling apps
8. Famous people or influencers promoting gambling companies via social media (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and so on)
9. Adverts in podcasts
10. Adverts on livestreaming platforms, such as Twitch

Responses include:

1. Yes
2. No

(Ask all)

National Lottery views

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the National Lottery? Today I think that the National Lottery…

1. …is honest and trustworthy
2. …is well run
3. …contributes to causes that benefit the whole nation
4. …encourages people to play its games responsibly
5. …is innovative

Responses include:

1. Agree strongly
2. Agree slightly
3. Neither agree nor disagree
4. Disagree slightly
5. Disagree strongly
6. Do not know

(Ask all)

GamStop

GamStop is a national self-exclusion scheme that all online gambling companies licensed in Britain are part of.

In the past 4 weeks, have you registered yourself with GamStop (an online self-exclusion scheme) to prevent you accessing online gambling websites?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I have not gambled in the past 4 weeks

Impact of someone else’s gambling questions

(Ask all)

Knowing people who gamble question

Does anyone you are close to gamble, even if only occasionally? By gambling we mean spending money on activities such as lotteries, betting, casino and so on.
Please select all that apply

1. No
2. Yes, a partner or spouse
3. Yes, another family member (that is not your partner or spouse)
4. Yes, a friend
5. Yes, someone else

If respondents answered yes to knowing someone who gambles, they were required to answer the following.

Living with someone who gambles

And do you live with this person and/or any of these people?

1. Yes
2. No

If respondents answered ‘No’ or no answer to knowing someone who gambles, they were routed to the General Health questions.

Impact of someone else’s gambling – set 1

The next few questions are about the impact that someone else’s gambling may have had on you, whether you live with them or not. Please answer as honestly as you can.

Thinking about someone else’s gambling, in the last 12 months…

1. …have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money because of someone else’s gambling?
2. …have you felt that someone else’s gambling has caused you any health problems, including stress or anxiety?
3. …have you felt that someone else’s gambling has made you feel embarrassment, guilt or shame?

Responses include:

1. Very often
2. Fairly often
3. Occasionally
4. Never

If respondents answered 'Yes' to knowing someone who gambles, they were required to answer the following.

Impact of someone else’s gambling – set 2

In the last 12 months, how often has someone else’s gambling led you to…

1. …reduce or cut back your spending on everyday items such as food, bills and clothing?
2. …use your savings or increase your use of credit, such as credit cards, overdrafts and loans?
3. …experience conflict or arguments with friends, family and/or work colleagues?
4. …feel isolated from other people, left out or feel completely alone?
5. …lie to family, or others, to hide the extent of someone else’s gambling?
6. …be absent or perform poorly at work or study?

Responses include:

1. Very often
2. Fairly often
3. Occasionally
4. Never

If respondents answered 'Yes' to knowing someone who gambles, they were required to answer the following.

Impact of someone else’s gambling – set 3

In the last 12 months…

1. ...has your relationship with someone close to you such as a spouse, partner, family member or friend broken down because of someone else’s gambling?
2. ...have you lost something of significant financial value such as your home, business, car or been declared bankrupt because of someone else’s gambling?
3. ...have you experienced violence or abuse because of someone else’s gambling?
4. …have you committed a crime in order to finance someone else’s gambling or to pay their gambling debts?

Responses include:

1. Yes
2. No

If respondents answered 'Yes' to knowing someone who gambles, they were required to answer the following.

Impact of someone else’s gambling – set 4

In the last 12 months, has someone else’s gambling led you to seek help, support or information online, in-person or by telephone from…

1. …mental health services?
2. …food banks or other welfare organisations?
3. …relationship counselling and support services?
4. …gambling support services?

Responses include:

1. Yes
2. No

Health and wellbeing questions

(Ask all)

General Health

How would you say your health was in general?

1. Very good
2. Good
3. Fair
4. Bad
5. Very bad

(Ask all)

Physical and/or Mental Health

Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Do not know

If respondents answered 'Yes' to physical or mental health conditions, they were required to answer the following.

Health impact

ANALYSIS: “Whether day-to-day activities impacted by long-term health”

Do any of your conditions or illnesses reduce your ability to carry out day-to-day activities?

1. Yes, a lot
2. Yes, a little
3. No not at all

(Ask all)

Smoking status

Do you smoke cigarettes at all nowadays, not including electronic cigarettes or vaping products?

1. Yes
2. No

If respondents did not smoke, they were routed to the drinking frequency question.

(Ask all)

Vape status

Do you use an e-cigarette or vaping device at all nowadays?

1. Yes
2. No

(Ask all)

Drinking frequency

How often did you have a drink containing alcohol in the past year?

1. Never
2. Monthly or less
3. Two to four times a month
4. Two to four times a week
5. Four or more times a week

If respondents answered ‘Never’, to the drinking frequency question, they were routed to the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS)

Number of drinks

How many drinks did you have on a typical day when you were drinking in the past year?

1. None, I do not drink
2. 1 or 2
3. 3 or 4
4. 5 or 6
5. 7 to 9
6. 10 or more

If respondents answered ‘None, I do not drink’, they were routed to the SWEMWBS.

Drinking 6 or more alcohol drinks

How often did you have six or more drinks on one occasion in the past year?

1. Never
2. Less than monthly
3. Monthly
4. Weekly
5. Daily or almost daily

The following question was asked only on the online version)

(Ask all)

Impulsivity

Please read the following statements and indicate how true each one is for you:  

1. I often do things without stopping to think  
2. I am an impulsive person  
3. I often talk quickly before thinking things out  
4. I often get involved in things I wish I could later get out of  
5. I need to use a lot of self-control to keep out of trouble  
6. I often get in trouble because I do things without thinking  
7. I get carried away by new and exciting ideas   

(Ask all)

Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS)

Below are some statements about feelings and thoughts.

Please select one answer per statement that best describes your experience of each over the last 2 weeks.

1. I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future
2. I’ve been feeling useful
3. I’ve been feeling relaxed
4. I’ve been dealing with problems well
5. I’ve been thinking clearly
6. I’ve been feeling close to other people
7. I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

Responses include:

1. None of the time
2. Rarely
3. Some of the time
4. Often
5. All of the time

Scale used: Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) © NHS Health Scotland, University of Warwick and University of Edinburgh, 2008, all rights reserved.

(ASK ALL)

Self harm – question 1

In the last 12 months have you ever thought about taking your own life, even though you would not actually do it?

1. Yes
2. No

(Ask all)

Self harm – question 2

In the last 12 months, have you made an attempt to take your life, by taking an overdose of tablets or in some other way?

1. Yes
2. No

If respondents answered ‘No’ to both self harm question 1 and 2, respondents were routed to the Sex question.

Self harm - question 3

To what extent, if at all, was this related to your gambling?

1. Not at all
2. A little
3. A lot

Demographic questions

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Sex

What is your sex?

A question about gender identity will follow.

1. Male
2. Female

(Ask all)

Gender

Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?

1. Yes
2. No, write in gender identity:

(Ask all)

Date of Birth

What is your date of birth?

Please enter day, month, year

‘This survey is for individuals aged 18 years and older. Please check the date of birth you have entered.’

If respondents did not provide an answer for the year, they were required to answer the following.

Age at last birthday

What was your age last birthday?

(Enter number in years)

(Ask all)

Ethnic Group

Choose one option that best describes your ethnic group or background

White

1. English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British
2. Irish
3. Gypsy or Irish Traveller
4. Any other White background, please describe:

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups

5. White and Black Caribbean
6. White and Black African
7. White and Asian
8. Any other Mixed or Multiple ethnic background, please describe:

Asian or Asian British

9. Indian
10. Pakistani
11. Bangladeshi
12. Chinese
13. Any other Asian background, please describe:

Black or African or Caribbean or Black British

14. African
15. Caribbean
16. Any other Black, African or Caribbean background, please describe:

Other ethnic group

17. Arab
18. Any other ethnic group, please describe:

(The following question was asked only on the online version)

(Ask all)

Sexual Orientation

Which of the following options best describes how you think of yourself?

1. Heterosexual or Straight
2. Gay or Lesbian
3. Bisexual
4. Other
5. Prefer not to say

(Ask all)

(The following question was asked only on the online version)

Religion

What is your religion?

1. No religion
2. Christian (including Church of England, Catholic, Protestant and all other Christian denominations)
3. Buddhist
4. Hindu
5. Jewish
6. Muslim
7. Sikh
8. Any other religion, please describe:

(Ask all)

Number of adults in household

Including you, how many adults aged 18 or over are currently living in your household?

(Ask all)

Number of children in household

And how many children aged under 18 currently live in your household? If ‘none’, write in ‘0’.

(Ask all)

Current relationship status

What is your legal marital or registered civil partnership status?

1. Never married and never registered in a civil partnership
2. Married
3. In a registered civil partnership
4. Separated, but still legally married
5. Separated, but still legally in a civil partnership
6. Divorced
7. Formerly in a civil partnership which is now legally dissolved
8. Widowed
9. Surviving partner from a registered civil partnership

(Ask all)

Income

Thinking of the income of your household as a whole, which of the groups on this list represents the total income of the whole household before deduction for income tax, National Insurance, and so on?

Please note that this includes income from benefits and savings.

1. Monthly income before tax: £0 to £949 or annual income before tax: £0 to £11,399.
2. Monthly income before tax: £950 to £1,349 or annual income before tax: £11,400 to £16,199.
3. Monthly income before tax: £1,350 to £1,799 or annual income before tax: £16,200 to £21,599.
4. Monthly income before tax: £1,800 to £2,249 or annual income before tax: £21,600 to £26,999.
5. Monthly income before tax: £2,250 to £2,799 or annual income before tax: £27,000 to £33,599.
6. Monthly income before tax: £2,800 to £3,349 or annual income before tax: £33,600 to £40,199
7. Monthly income before tax: £3,350 to £3,999 or annual income before tax: £40,200 to £47,999
8. Monthly income before tax: £4,000 to £4,999 or annual income before tax: £48,000 to £59,999
9. Monthly income before tax: £5,000 to £6,599 or annual income before tax: £60,000 to £79,199.
10. Monthly income before tax: £6,600 or more or annual income before tax: £79,200 or more.

(Ask all)

Tenure

In which of these ways is your accommodation occupied?

1. Own it outright
2. Buying it with the help of a mortgage and/or loan
3. Part own and part rent (shared ownership)
4. Rent it from a housing association or local council
5. Rent it from another type of landlord
6. Live here rent-free
7. Squatting

(Ask all)

Respondent educational background

Do you have any educational qualifications for which you received a certificate?

1. Yes
2. No

If respondents answered ‘No’, they were required to answer the following question.

Respondent professional, vocational or other work related qualifications

Do you have any professional, vocational or other work-related qualifications for which you received a certificate?

1. Yes
2. No

If respondents answered ‘Yes’ to having any educational qualifications for which they received a certificate or having any professional, vocational or other work-related qualifications for which they received a certificate, they were required to answer the following question.

Respondent highest qualifications at degree level or other

Was your highest qualification:

1. At degree level or above
2. Or another kind of qualification?

(Ask all)

Employment status last week

In the past 7 days, were you doing any of the following? Include casual or temporary work, even if only for one hour. Tick one option below.

1. Working as an employee
2. Self-employed or freelancer
3. Temporarily away from work ill, or on holiday or temporally laid off
4. On maternity or paternity leave
5. Doing any other kind of paid work
6. None of the above

If respondents answered, ‘None of the above’, they were required to answer the following.

Activity in the last week

Which of the following described what you were doing in the last seven days?

Tick one option below.

1. Retired (whether receiving a pension or not)
2. Studying
3. Looking after home or family
4. Long-term sick or disabled
5. Other

(Ask all)

(The following question was asked only on the online version)

Essential finances

Which of the following statements best reflects your essential monthly household finances at the moment? By essentials we mean rent and/or mortgage payments, bills such as energy and water, food and toiletries

1. I can cover my essentials each month and always have money left over
2. I can cover my essentials each month and sometimes have money left over
3. I can mostly cover my essentials each month but some months I cannot
4. I can rarely cover my essentials each month
5. I can never cover my essentials each month
6. Prefer not to say

(Ask all)

(The following question was asked only on the online version)

Cost of Living

In the past 4 weeks, have you spent more or less on the following activities than you normally would?

1. Supermarket shopping
2. Non-essential spending with other retailers such as clothes, shoes and so on
3. Leisure activities such as hobbies, gym membership, cinema and so on
4. Going to restaurants and bars
5. Home entertainment and subscriptions such as Netflix, Sky and so on.
6. Lottery tickets and/or scratchcards
7. Other gambling activities (not including those above)
8. Other charitable donations
9. Home improvements and/or DIY

Responses include:

1. More or increased spend
2. Stayed the same
3. Less or decreased spend
4. Do not know

Admin

(Ask all)

Recontact

Sometimes we ask people who have taken part in this study to take part in other studies too. These studies may be carried out by NatCen Social Research or the Gambling Commission. You will only be contacted again for research purposes and only where there is a genuine reason for contacting you. You may never be contacted again, but if you are, you will still be free to decide whether you want to take part or not.

Are you willing to be contacted again for future research purposes?

Response options include:

1. Yes
2. No

If respondents said yes, they were routed to the following.

Do you have an email address we can contact you on?

This would only be used for research purposes.

1. Yes
2. No

If respondents said yes, they were routed to the following.

Please write your email address in the box below:

(Ask all)

Voucher

We would like to send you a £10 shopping voucher via email to say thank you for your time and helping us with this survey.

Please note that it may take up to two weeks for the voucher to arrive.

Can you confirm you would like to receive your voucher?

1. I would like to receive a voucher
2. I do not want to receive a voucher

If respondents agreed to receiving a voucher, they were routed to the following.

Please write in your full name. This would only be used for the purpose of sending you your voucher, and if you gave your permission, to be contacted about future research.

If respondents did not want a voucher, they were routed to the following.

Thank you for completing this survey. If you said that you would like to receive the £10 voucher and provided an email address, this will be sent to you within the next couple of weeks.

If you would like to speak to someone about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how large or small the issue feels, contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or at jo@samaritans.org

For free information, advice or support about gambling you can contact GamCare on 0808 8020 133 or at gamcare.org.uk (opens in new tab).

Previous section
Appendix A - Online questionnaire part 1

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Last updated: 16 July 2026

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