Report
Lived experiences of gambling in teenage boys and young men: Qualitative research
Qualitative research to explore the lived experiences of teenage boys and young men aged 14 to 25 years.
Contents
- About the research
- Summary of findings
- Research approach
- Findings
-
- Gambling literacy is low and often surface-level
- Gaming as a potential entry point to gambling
- Turning 18 marks a formal transition to "adult" gambling
- Gambling embedded in social life is more likely to persist
- Money matters more with age and experience
- Online exposure makes gambling feel ever-present
- Risks, impacts, and warning signs
- Conclusions
- Appendix
Summary of findings
The gambling environment for young men today is fast moving and highly visible. It is shaped by new technologies, online communities, and easy access to betting opportunities – where they are legally able to engage. For many, gambling feels like a familiar and even routine part of social life, often viewed as being an intrinsic aspect of sport, friendship, and everyday media. This research highlights how the pathways into gambling for teenage boys and young men differ from those of previous generations, marked by blurred boundaries between play and risk, and by an online world where gambling content is prevalent and sits alongside gaming, social content, and entertainment.
Across the study, 7 key themes emerged from our sample of teenage boys and young men describing their relationship with gambling today:
1: Gambling literacy is low and often surface level
Participants often described feeling confident that they understood how odds worked, yet struggled to explain them in detail. Self-reported understanding was high, but genuine comprehension appeared limited. Many talked about “learning” through social media tipsters, advice from friends or family, or their own wins and losses. Others reported having no understanding at all. Some mentioned in-app explanations or percentage conversions offered by gambling companies, which made betting feel more transparent but did not lead to deeper understanding. Participants tended to treat these cues as guidance for decision making rather than true learning, leaving their grasp of chance and probability partial and inconsistent.
2: Gaming is a potential entry point to gambling
Gaming was often the earliest setting in which participants encountered gambling-like mechanics such as loot boxes. These features introduced the idea of paying for an uncertain reward and helped bring about the excitement of chance from a young age. Although most participants viewed gaming as harmless entertainment, many later recognised how these experiences mirrored gambling – using real or in-game money for a potential payoff, driven by similar anticipation and frustration cycles. For some, this familiarity made formal gambling at 18 feel like a natural extension of play rather than a new activity.
3: Turning 18 marks a formal transition to “adult” gambling
For many participants, the 18th birthday represented a formal gateway to adult gambling. Before then, some experimented through informal bets with friends, in-game gambling or activities similar in nature to gambling, or limited exposure via parents or siblings. Once legal age was reached, gambling became more deliberate and funded by personal (rather than, for example, parental) income, with time, attention, and money dedicated to sports betting, scratchcards, online casinos, and other regulated products.
4: Gambling embedded in social life is more likely to persist
Gambling that plays an important role in social life – particularly online sports betting – was the most persistent and valued activity among participants. The appeal largely lies in the ability to strengthen shared interests and relationships. Betting together, discussing results and comparing wins and losses provides a sense of belonging that extends beyond the activity itself. For those gambling more frequently or with higher stakes, the potential for financial gain became an added incentive, but the social element remained central. For lower stakes or more occasional gamblers, social connection often outweighed the importance of winning, with the cost of regular losses viewed as an accepted part of staying involved with friends and shared sporting communities.
5: Money matters more with age and experience
While younger participants often described gambling as fun or incidental, those aged 18 and over were more likely to view it through a financial lens. Both winning money and a sense of achievement from “earning” wins became stronger motivations with age. This was most evident among participants with higher gambling activity, for whom the thrill of profit and the challenge of prediction became central to their engagement.
6: Online exposure makes gambling feel ever-present
Across social media, streaming and live sport, older participants described constant visibility of gambling content – from paid advertisements to influencer sponsorships, memes and lifestyle creators showcasing betting. This online environment reinforces gambling as a common cultural practice and keeps it accessible, even for under-18s, who rarely report seeing paid-for gambling ads but frequently encounter user-generated and influencer-led content despite age restrictions.
7: Risks, impacts, and warning signs
While few participants had experienced gambling-related harms themselves, most could recognise early warning signs and describe how these might escalate if unchecked. Risk and impact were understood as cumulative, shaped by the interplay of accessibility, social norms, impulsivity, and changing financial circumstances. Around key transitions, particularly the move into legal adulthood, paid work, and going to university, these factors often converge to heighten vulnerability. Building awareness of these combined risks, and of the emotional and behavioural cues that signal harm, could help teenage boys and young men recognise when gambling or gambling-like activity is shifting from recreation to risk.
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Research approach - Lived experiences of gambling in teenage boys and young men
Last updated: 11 December 2025
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