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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


Setting gambling in the context of other risk taking behaviours

The survey also measures young people’s self-reported involvement in a range of other risk-taking behaviours which means trends in gambling activity can be compared with other risk-taking behaviours, such as smoking, drinking, and drug-taking.

Over the last 12 months, young people were more likely to have experienced some form of gambling activity (44 percent) than other risk-taking activities listed (though these were asked about in slightly different ways and so comparisons are to some extent indicative). Just over a third (37 percent) of young people had drunk alcohol and 27 percent had spent their own money on gambling. This is followed by 15 percent who cited using an e-cigarette or vape, 8 percent having smoked a tobacco cigarette, and 7 percent having taken illegal drugs (including cannabis).

Figure 3.6: Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months

YPG 24 - Figure 3.6: Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months

Figure 3.6 information

GC_ACTIVITY. Please look at the list below and for each activity, select when, if ever, you have done this.
Base: All answering who have drunk alcoholic drink (3,152), used an e-cigarette and/or vape (3,163), smoked tobacco cigarette (3,198), taken illegal drugs (3,190).

GC_GAMSPENDWHEN. When did you last do this activity? Was it...? Summary of gambling in last 7 days or 4 weeks or 12 months.
Base: All answering (3,869).

GAMSPEND4. And when did you last spend money on [this activity or these activities]? Was it …?
Base: All answering (3,869).

Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months
Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months 2024 (percentage)
Experience in gambling 44%
Drunk an alcoholic drink 37%
Active involvement in gambling 27%
Used an e-cigarette and/or vape 15%
Smoked a tobacco cigarette 8%
Taken illegal drugs (including cannabis) 7%

Those young people who had seen family members gamble were more likely than those without such exposure to have engaged in all the listed risk-taking behaviours within the past 12 months. They were more likely to have drunk an alcoholic drink (53 percent, compared to 31 percent), used an e-cigarette and/or vape (21 percent, compared to 12 percent), smoked a tobacco cigarette (12 percent, compared to 6 percent), and taken illegal drugs (11 percent, compared to 5 percent).

There are higher levels of experience of some risk-taking behaviours among young people who have actively gambled. Over half (53 percent) of young people who gambled with their own money in the 12 months prior to the survey had also consumed an alcoholic drink during the same period. This compares to 37 percent of the total sample. Similarly, 21 percent of those who gambled with their own money in the same period had used e-cigarettes, compared to 15 percent of the total sample.

The likelihood of young people having experienced the most common risk-taking behaviours – gambling and drinking alcohol - has declined since 2022 (44 percent reported having experienced gambling in the 2024 survey, compared to 50 percent in 2022; whilst 37 percent in 2024 noted they had drunk alcohol, compared to 41 percent in 2022).

Table 3.4: Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months, in 2022, 2023 and 2024

Table 3.4 information

GC_ACTIVITY. Please look at the list below and for each activity, select when, if ever, you have done this.
Base: All answering who have drunk alcoholic drink in 2024 (3,152), 2023 (2,622), 2022 (2,198), used an e-cigarette and/or vape in 2022 (2,202), 2023 (2,637), 2024 (3,163), smoked tobacco cigarette in 2022 (2,224), 2023 (2,665), 2024 (3,198), taken illegal drugs in 2022 (2,213), 2023 (2,662), 2024 (3,190).

GC_GAMSPENDWHEN. When did you last do this activity? Was it...? Summary of gambling in last 7 days or 4 weeks or 12 months.
Base: All answering in 2022 (2,559), 2023 (3,453), 2024 (3,869).

GAMSPEND4. And when did you last spend money on [this activity or these activities]? Was it …?
Base: All answering in 2022 (2,559), 2023 (3,453), 2024 (3,869).

Table 3.4: Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months, in 2022, 2023 and 2024
Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months 2022 (percentage) 2023 (percentage) 2024 (percentage) Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2022 Statistical differences 2024 compared to 2023
Experience in gambling 50% 40% 44% Significant decrease Significant increase
Drunk an alcoholic drink 41% 42% 37% Significant decrease Significant decrease
Active involvement in gambling 31% 26% 27% Significant decrease No significant differences
Used an e-cigarette and/or vape 17% 20% 15% No significant differences Significant decrease
Smoked a tobacco cigarette 7% 9% 8% No significant differences No significant differences
Taken illegal drugs (including cannabis) 5% 8% 7% Significant increase No significant differences
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