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Report

Young People and Gambling 2023: Official statistics

Gambling Commission report produced by Ipsos on young people and their gambling behaviour, attitudes and awareness in 2023.

Contents


Why young people do not gamble

Figure 24: Reasons for not gambling

A lack of interest in gambling is the most common reason cited by young people for never spending their own money on it (44 percent).

However, a similar proportion did not participate in gambling activities because it is illegal or thought they were too young (37 percent). This was followed by young people not wanting to play with real money and/or they would rather play with free games (27 percent); because they think they will lose more than they will win (24 percent), and because it may lead to future problems (23 percent).

A bar chart showing the top twelve reasons for not gambling. Data from the chart is provided within the following table.

Figure 24 information

GC_NEVER. You said that you have never gambled or never spent your own money on gambling. Why is that?
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering who have never spent their own money on gambling (1,674).
Note: This is a multiple response question, so the responses shown will not add up to 100 percent

Figure 24: Reasons for not gambling - Top Ten responses (plus 'Other' and 'Don't know'.
Reasons for not gambling Percentage (multiple response question, therefore answers do not sum to 100 percent)
It’s not something I’m interested in 44%
It’s illegal and/or I’m too young to do this 37%
I don’t want to play with real money and/or I would rather play free games 27%
Because I will lose more than I will win 24%
Because it might lead to future problems 23%
My parents would not want me to and/or allow me to 22%
Because I am not likely to win money 21%
I don’t agree with gambling and/or it is not right 20%
I don’t know enough about these gambling games 13%
It is against my religion 8%
Prefer not to say 36%
Other 4%
Don't know 11%

There were gender differences with boys more likely than girls to say that they will lose more than they will win (24 percent compared with 19 percent), that it might lead to future problems (27 percent compared with 20 percent) and that they are not likely to win any money (26 percent compared with 16 percent).

There were also age differences: 11 to 13 year olds were more likely to mention that their parents do not allow them to gamble, than 14 to 16 year olds (25 percent, compared with 19 percent), and were more likely to state that they did not agree with gambling, than 14 to 16 year olds (22 percent, compared with 17 percent). Those aged 17 were more likely than those aged 14 to 16 to state that they don’t agree with gambling and/or that it is not right (25 percent compared to 17 percent).

Young people from ethnic minority groups were more likely, than those who define their ethnicity as white, to cite reasons such as gambling being against their religion (26 percent, compared with 2 percent) and that they are not likely to win any money (22 percent compared with 16 percent).

There has been an increase of 5 percentage points in the overall lack of interest in gambling in comparison to 2022 (from 39 percent). The proportion of young people aged 11 to 13 years old who mentioned that their parents do not allow them to gamble has decreased by 4 percentage points (29 percent in 2022).

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Reasons why young people gamble
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Who young people were with when they gambled
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