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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


Experience and impact of family members’ gambling

A significant proportion of 11 to 17 year olds (28 percent) have seen family members they live with gamble. However, almost three in five (58 percent) have not.

Figure 10: Experience of ever seeing family members gambling

A pie chart showing the experience of ever seeing family members gambling. Data from the chart is provided within the following table.

Figure 10 information

GC_FAMGAM. Have you ever seen any of the family members that you live with gambling? When we talk about gambling, we mean any activity which involves risking money (or something of value) in a game or a bet in the hope of winning money or a prize.
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering (2,781).

Figure 10: Experience of ever seeing family members gambling
Experience of family members gambling Percentage
Yes 28%
No 58%
Don't know 14%

Boys were more likely than girls to have seen their family members gamble (30 percent compared to 24 percent).

Young people who had ever seen family members gamble were asked if this had affected specific aspects of their lives either sometimes, often, all of the time or never. A combination figure for ‘sometimes’, ‘often’, or ‘all of the time’ has been used to the report the impact that gambling can have, unless specified otherwise.

The most common impact of gambling by a family member, as shown in Figure 11, was that it helped to pay for other things or activities for example holidays, trips, clubs, just over one in ten (12 percent) said that this happened either sometimes, often, or all of the time.

Family members gambling impacted less on parents or guardians having time to spend with young people (7 percent) or the availability of food at home or money on school canteen card or account (mentioned by 3 percent). However, 9 percent of young people felt that it had resulted in more arguments or tension at home.

Figure 11: The impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people

Horizontal stacked bar charts showing the impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people. Data from the chart is provided within the following table.

Figure 11 information

GC_FAMGAMFOOD GC_FAMGAMPAY GC_FAMLEDTME GC_FAMLEDARG. Thinking about the last 12 months, how often, if at all, has your family’s gambling led to any of the following things?
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering who have seen family members live with gamble 'Stopped you from having enough food (food at home or money on school canteen card or account)' (774). 'Helped your family to pay for other things or activities for example, holidays, trips, clubs' (772). 'Your parents or guardians having less time to spend with you' (774). 'More arguments or tension at home' (773).

Figure 11: The impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people
The impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people Percentage who never Percentage who rarely Percentage who sometimes Percentage who often Percentage who all the time Percentage who don't know Percentage who are not applicable
More arguments or tension at home 77% 7% 4% 3% 3% 3% 4%
Your parents or guardians having less time to spend with you 82% 4% 3% 2% 2% 2% 4%
Helped your family pay for other things or activities 68% 10% 7% 3% 2% 6% 4%
Stopped you from having enough food (food at home or money on school canteen card and/or account) 87% 4% 1% 1% 1% 2% 4%

Boys were more likely than girls to say that family members gambling had impacted on the availability of food at home or money on school canteen card or account all the time or often (5 percent compared to 1 percent).

Those aged 13 years old who lived with a family member that gambled were more likely than other respondents to say that family members gambling had resulted in more arguments or tension at home (18 percent compared to 9 percent).

Young people who had seen family members they live with gamble were then asked how it had affected them personally. Over one in twenty said that it had made them feel worried (8 percent) or sad (7 percent) either all of the time, some of the time or often. Of these, 2 percent felt worried or sad all of the time about family members or people they live with gambling. However, for the most part they stated that this never happened.

Black and minority ethnic groups were more likely than people from white ethnic groups to say that family members gambling had made them feel worried (15 percent compared to 6 percent).

Figure 12: The impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people’s emotions

Horizontal stacked bar charts showing the impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people’s emotions. Data from the chart is provided within the following table.

Figure 12 information

GC_NEWFELTBADFAMSAD GC_NEWFELTBADFAMWOR. In the past 12 months how often, if at all, would you say that gambling among your family members and/or people you live with has made you feel…
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering who have seen family members live with gamble 'Sad' (754). 'Worried' (751).

Figure 12: The impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people’s emotions
The impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people Percentage who never Percentage who rarely Percentage who sometimes Percentage who often Percentage who all the time Percentage who don't know
Worried 80% 8% 4% 2% 2% 4%
Sad 83% 5% 4% 1% 2% 5%
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The impact of gambling on schoolwork
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