The following 2 questions form part of the youth-adapted problem gambling screen, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition – Multiple Response Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J). Young people who had gambled with their own money in the past 12 months were asked whether gambling had affected their relationships with family and friends. The majority of these young people indicated that they had not told a lie to family or friends (91 percent) nor had arguments with family, friends or others (92 percent) as a result of their active involvement in gambling over the past year.

However, almost 1 in 10 (9 percent) of those actively involved in gambling noted that this had led to them telling lies to family and/or friends or others at least once or twice within the past year, and around 1 in 12 (8 percent) cited their gambling as having led to arguments with family and/or friends or others over the same period.

Most of those who had told lies or argued with friends and/or family and/or others noted that it had happened once or twice, though small proportions cited it having happened more frequently. Figure 2.1 summarises the responses amongst all those who had gambled with their own money in the past 12 months.

Figure 2.1: Extent to which gambling had led to lying and arguing with family and/or friends or others

YPG 24 - Figure 2.1: Extent to which gambling led to lying and arguing with family or friends or others

Figure 2.1 information

GC_LEDLYING GC_LEDRISKEDFAM. In the past 12 months has your gambling ever led to the following?
Base: All answering who have spent their own money gambling in the last 12 months 'Telling lies to family and/or friends or others' (n=935), 'Arguments with family and/or friends' (n=939).

Extent to which gambling had led to lying and arguing with family and/or friends or others
Impact of young people’s gambling on negative behaviours	Never (percentage)	Once or twice (percentage)	Sometimes (percentage)	Often (percentage)
Telling lies to family and/or friends or others	91%	5%	1%	3%
Arguments with family and/or friends or others	92%	5%	1%	2%

Boys were more likely than girls to report that their active involvement in gambling had led to arguments with family and/or friends or others over the past 12 months (9 percent of boys compared to 5 percent of girls). There were no statistically significant differences by age group or by ethnic background.

In terms of comparisons with previous years, there has been an increase in the proportion of young people actively involved in gambling who noted that this has led to them lying to family and/or friends or others, up from 5 percent in 2023 to 9 percent in 2024 (it was previously 6 percent in 2022).

Table 2.1: Extent to which gambling had led to lying and arguing with family and/or friends or others in 2022, 2023 and 2024

Table 2.1 information

GC_LEDLYING GC_LEDRISKEDFAM. In the past 12 months has your gambling ever led to the following?
Base: All answering who have spent their own money gambling in the last 12 months 'Telling lies to family and/or friends or others' 2022 (727), 2023 (814), 2024 (935), 'Arguments with family and/or friends or others' 2022 (727), 2023 (814), 2024 (939).

Table 2.1 Extent to which gambling had led to lying and arguing with family and/or friends or others in 2022, 2023 and 2024
Telling lies to family and/or friends or others	2022 (percentage)	2023 (percentage)	2024 (percentage)	Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2022	Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2023
My gambling has never led to this	94%	95%	91%	Significant decrease	Significant decrease
Once or twice	4%	3%	5%	No significant difference	No significant difference
Sometimes	0%	1%	1%	Significant increase	No significant difference
Often	2%	1%	3%	No significant difference	Significant increase
Done so at least once in the past 12 months	6%	5%	9%	Significant increase	Significant increase
Arguments with family and/or friends or others	2022 (percentage)	2023 (percentage)	2024 (percentage)	Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2022	Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2023
My gambling has never led to this	93%	94%	92%	No significant difference	No significant difference
Once or twice	5%	4%	5%	No significant difference	No significant difference
Sometimes	1%	0%	1%	No significant difference	No significant difference
Often	2%	1%	2%	No significant difference	Significant increase
Done so at least once in the past 12 months	7%	6%	8%	No significant difference	No significant difference

Impact on how young people felt around friends and how they communicated with parents

Young people who had gambled with their own money in the past 12 months were asked how often, if at all, their gambling had led them to feel uncomfortable around their friends (for example, embarrassed, or feeling that friends would not approve) or to talk to their parents about how they feel. Throughout this section a combination figure for ‘sometimes’, ‘often’, or ‘all of the time’ has been used to report the impact that gambling can have, unless specified otherwise.

Around 1 in 10 of these young people (9 percent) noted that their gambling had made them feel uncomfortable around their friends at least sometimes. Just 3 percent felt uncomfortable all the time. A slightly higher proportion, 11 percent, noted that their gambling had led them to talk to their parents about how they feel, at least sometimes. 5 percent of young people said it had happened all of the time.

Figure 2.2: Impact on how young people felt around friends and communicated with parents

YPG 24 - Figure 2.2: Impact on how young people felt around friends and communicated with parents

Figure 2.2 information

GC_GAMLEDCOM GC_GAMLEDTLK. Thinking about the last 12 months, how often, if at all, has your own gambling led you to...
Base: All answering who have spent their own money gambling in the last 12 months 'Not feel comfortable around your friends' (n=941), 'Talk to your parents about how you feel' (n=942).

Impact on how young people felt around friends and communicated with parents
The impact of young people’s gambling around family and friends	Never (percentage)	Rarely (percentage)	Sometimes (percentage)	Often (percentage)	All the time (percentage)	Do not know (percentage)
Not feel comfortable around your friends (such as feeling embarrassed, or feeling friends would not approve)	80%	3%	4%	2%	3%	8%
Talk to your parents about how you feel	76%	3%	4%	2%	5%	10%

Young people aged 11 to 13 who actively gambled in the past 12 months were more likely than those aged 14 to 17 to note that their gambling had led them to talk to their parents about how they felt (14 percent, compared to 9 percent). Young people who were actively involved in gambling in the last 7 days (16 percent) and those who have been actively involved in the last 4 weeks (14 percent) were more likely to talk to their parents about how they feel compared to young people that were actively involved in gambling in the last 12 months (9 percent).

No significant differences were identified between 2022, 2023 and 2024 in terms of the proportions of young people actively involved in gambling who noted that their gambling had led them to feel uncomfortable around their friends or to talk to their parents about how they feel.

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Young people’s feelings when gambling

Last updated: 7 November 2024

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Contents

The impact of gambling on relationships

Extent to which gambling had led to lying and arguing with family and/or friends or others