Report
Young People and Gambling 2025: Official statistics
Gambling Commission report produced by Ipsos on young people and their gambling behaviour, attitudes and awareness in 2025.
Contents
- Executive summary
- Wider experience of gambling
-
- Summary
- Wider experience and active involvement in gambling
- Experience of different categories of gambling activities
- Experience of different types of gambling activities
- Who young people were with when they gambled
- Being stopped from gambling for being too young
- Gambling in the context of what young people do in their spare time
- Gambling in the context of other risk taking behaviours
- Active involvement in gambling and experience of problem gambling
- Trends in gambling behaviours: 2022 to 2025
- Young people’s exposure to gambling
- The impact of gambling on young people
- Gambling activities and gaming
- Perspectives on gambling: Awareness, attitudes and behaviours
- Appendices
National Lottery play
Active involvement with lotteries and lottery style games
In the past 12 months, 9 percent of young people engaged in lottery-style games at least once. National Lottery Scratchcards were the most popular, with a participation rate of 7 percent. In contrast, smaller proportions played the National Lottery draw (3 percent), National Lottery online instant win games (1 percent) or other lotteries (1 percent).
Buying a National Lottery draw ticket or scratchcard
All young people who have played the National Lottery, either through a physical ticket or online, or scratchcard, were then asked how they purchased the ticket the last time they played.
Four in five (79 percent) young people that played the National Lottery draw, reported that someone else purchased the ticket for them. In comparison, 14 percent had purchased the ticket themselves in a shop.
Among those young people who played National Lottery Scratchcards, 94 percent reported that someone else had purchased the scratchcard for them, compared with 4 percent who purchased it themselves in a shop.
Overall, the proportion of young people who reported that someone else made the purchase of a National Lottery draw game or scratchcard has increased since 2024, as shown in Table 6.4.
Figure 6.3: Buying a National Lottery draw ticket or scratchcard within the past 12 months
Figure 6.3 information
GC_HANDED. Thinking about the last time you played National Lottery draw and/or Scratchcard which statement best describes how you purchased and paid for the item?
GC_HANDED2. Thinking about the last time you played National Lottery Scratchcards (not free Scratchcards) which statement best describes how you purchased and paid for the scratchcard?
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering who have played National Lottery 2025 (121). All 11 to 17 year olds answering who have played National Lottery Scratchcards 2025 (358).
| Buying a National Lottery draw ticket or scratchcard within the past 12 months | 2025 (percentage) | |
|---|---|---|
| National Lottery draw | National Lottery scratchcards | |
| Someone else purchased the ticket for me in a shop | 79% | 94% |
| I purchased the ticket by myself in a shop | 14% | 4% |
| The ticket was not purchased in a shop | 7% | 3% |
Table 6.4: Buying a National Lottery draw ticket or scratchcard 2024 to 2025
GC_HANDED1. Thinking about the last time you played National Lottery draw for example Lotto, EuroMillions or Set for Life, either with a physical ticket or playing online which statement best describes how you purchased and paid for the ticket?
GC_HANDED2. Thinking about the last time you played National Lottery Scratchcards (not free Scratchcards) which statement best describes how you purchased and paid for the scratchcard?
Base: All participants (answering) who have played National Lottery 2024 (117) 2025 (121).
Base: All participants (answering) who have played National Lottery Scratchcards 2024 (300), 2025 (358).
| How National Lottery draw game tickets were purchased | 2024 (percentage) | 2025 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2025 compared with 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Someone else purchased the ticket for me, using my money | 65% | 79% | Significant increase |
| I purchased the ticket by myself in a shop | 20% | 14% | No significant difference |
| It was not purchased in a shop | 14% | 7% | No significant difference |
| How National Lottery scratchcards were purchased | 2024 (percentage) | 2025 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2025 compared with 2024 |
| Someone else purchased the scratchcard for me, using my money | 89% | 94% | Significant increase |
| I purchased the scratchcard by myself in a shop | 7% | 4% | No significant difference |
| It was not purchased in a shop | 3% | 3% | No significant difference |
Online gambling Next section
Gaming
Last updated: 13 November 2025
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