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Report

Young People and Gambling 2024: Official statistics

Gambling Commission report produced by Ipsos on young people and their gambling behaviour, attitudes and awareness in 2024.

Contents


The impact of family members’ gambling on young people

The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s emotions

Young people who noted in the survey that they had ever seen family members in their household gamble were asked the extent to which this had made them feel worried and/or sad.

Over 1 in 15 young people (7 percent) who had seen family members gamble noted that it had made them feel worried within the past 12 months, at least sometimes. 1 in 20 (5 percent) reported that it had made them feel sad, at least sometimes. Figure 2.10 shows the breakdown of responses.

Figure 2.10: The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s emotions

YPG 24 - Figure 2.10: The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s emotions

Figure 2.10 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 answering who have seen family members live with gamble 'Worried' (868), 'Sad' (868).

The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s emotions
The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s emotions Never (percentage) Rarely (percentage) Sometimes (percentage) Often (percentage) All the time (percentage) Do not know (percentage)
Worried 81% 7% 4% 2% 1% 4%
Sad 86% 4% 2% 2% 1% 4%

Young people from black and other minority ethnic backgrounds were more likely than those from white ethnic groups to say that family members gambling had made them feel worried, at least sometimes (14 percent, compared to 6 percent).

The proportions of young people reporting having felt worried and/or sad due to other people in their household gambling have remained consistent across the surveys in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s well-being

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 on young people’s well-being, unless specified otherwise.

The most common impact of gambling by a family member, as shown in Figure 2.11 was that it helped to pay for other things or activities for example holidays, trips, clubs. Just over 1 in 10 (13 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 4 percent). However, 9 percent of young people felt that it had resulted in more arguments or tension at home.

Figure 2.11: The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s well-being

YPG 24 - Figure 2.11: The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s well-being

Figure 2.11 information

GC_FAMGAMFOOD, GC_FAMGAMPAY, GC_FAMLEDTME, GC_FAMLEDARG. Thinking about the last 12 months, how often, if at all,
Base: All participants (answering) who have seen family members live with gamble – 'Stopped you from having enough food (food at home or money on school canteen card and/or account' 2024 (889); 'Helped your family pay for other things or activities' 2024 (890); 'Your parents or guardians having less time to spend with you' 2024 (888); 'More arguments or tension at home' 2024 (891).

The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s well-being
The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s well-beings Never (percentage) Rarely (percentage) Sometimes (percentage) Often (percentage) All the time (percentage) Do not know (percentage)
Stopped you from having enough food (food at home or money on school canteen card and/or account) 86% 3% 1% 1% 2% 3%
Helped your family pay for other things or activities 66% 11% 8% 2% 3% 6%
Your parents or guardians having less time to spend with you 80% 6% 4% 1% 2% 3%
More arguments or tension at home 77% 6% 3% 3% 2% 3%

There were no statistically significant differences by gender, age or ethnic background in the likelihood of young people citing not having enough food, having parents or guardians spending less time with them or noting an increase in the number of arguments or tension at home. However, young people that have experienced gambling in the last 7 days were more likely than those having experienced gambling in the last 4 weeks or 12 months to have reported that gambling helped their family pay for other things or activities (21 percent compared to 13 percent and 12 percent), stopped them from having enough food (11 percent compared to 4 percent and 2 percent), led to their parents or guardians having less time to spend with them (13 percent compared to 4 percent and 5 percent) and more arguments or tension at home (14 percent compared to 6 percent and 5 percent), at least sometimes.

The proportion of young people indicating that their family’s gambling never led to not having enough food decreased from 90 percent in 2022 to 86 percent in 2024. Similarly, the proportion of young people indicating that their family’s gambling never led to their parents or guardian having less time to spend with them or more arguments or tension at home decreased between 2022 and 2024 (from 85 to 80 percent and from 82 percent to 77 percent respectively).

Table 2.11: The impact of family members' gambling on young people's well-being in 2022, 2023 and 2024

Table 2.11 information

Base: All participants (answering) who have seen family members live with gamble – 'Stopped you from having enough food (food at home or money on school canteen card and/or account' 2022 (652), 2023 (774), 2024 (889); 'Helped your family pay for other things or activities' 2022 (651), 2023 (772), 2024 (890); 'Your parents or guardians having less time to spend with you' 2022 (651), 2023 (774), 2024 (888); 'More arguments or tension at home' 2022 (652), 2023 (773), 2024 (891).

Table 2.11 The impact of family members' gambling on young people's well-being in 2022, 2023 and 2024
Stopped you from having enough food (food at home or money on school canteen card and/or account) 2022 (percentage) 2023 (percentage) 2024 (percentage) Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2022 Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2023
Never 90% 87% 86% Significant decrease No significant difference
Rarely 2% 4% 3% No significant difference No significant difference
Sometimes 1% 1% 1% No significant difference No significant difference
Often 0% 1% 1% Significant increase No significant difference
All the time 1% 1% 2% No significant difference No significant difference
Do not know 2% 2% 3% No significant difference No significant difference
Sometimes, often and all the time 3% 3% 4% No significant difference No significant difference
Helped your family pay for other things or activities 2022 (percentage) 2023 (percentage) 2024 (percentage) Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2022 Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2023
Never 68% 68% 66% No significant difference No significant difference
Rarely 12% 10% 11% No significant difference No significant difference
Sometimes 7% 7% 8% No significant difference No significant difference
Often 2% 3% 2% No significant difference No significant difference
All the time 2% 2% 3% No significant difference No significant difference
Do not know 6% 6% 6% No significant difference No significant difference
Sometimes, often and all the time 11% 12% 13% No significant difference No significant difference
Your parents or guardians having less time to spend with you 2022 (percentage) 2023 (percentage) 2024 (percentage) Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2022 Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2023
Never 85% 82% 80% Significant decrease No significant difference
Rarely 4% 4% 6% No significant difference No significant difference
Sometimes 3% 3% 4% No significant difference No significant difference
Often 2% 2% 1% No significant difference No significant difference
All the time 2% 2% 2% No significant difference No significant difference
Do not know 2% 2% 3% No significant difference No significant difference
Sometimes, often and all the time 6% 7% 7% No significant difference No significant difference
More arguments or tension at home 2022 (percentage) 2023 (percentage) 2024 (percentage) Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2022 Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2023
Never 82% 77% 77% Significant decrease No significant difference
Rarely 5% 7% 6% No significant difference No significant difference
Sometimes 2% 4% 3% No significant difference No significant difference
Often 3% 3% 3% No significant difference No significant difference
All the time 2% 3% 2% No significant difference No significant difference
Do not know 3% 3% 3% No significant difference No significant difference
Sometimes, often and all the time 7% 9% 9% No significant difference No significant difference
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Experience of ever seeing a family member gambling
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