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
Playing arcade machines in adults-only areas
Young people who had played arcade gaming machines were asked if they had ever done so in an adult-only area, for example an adult (18 years old and above) only section of an amusement arcade, bowling alley, holiday park or pub.
Around 1 in 10 young people (9 percent) with experience of arcade gaming machines reported having played a machine within an adult-only area, compared with 8 in 10 who had not (83 percent), and a further 8 percent who did not know.
Boys were more likely than girls to report having played arcade gaming machines within an adult-only area (12 percent, compared with 6 percent). Those who see family members gamble are also more likely to play arcade machines within adult-only areas compared with those that do not (14 percent, compared with 6 percent).
The proportion of young people with experience of arcade gaming machines play within an adult-only area has remained constant since 2024. See Table 6.2 for more information.
Table 6.2: Playing arcade machines in an adults-only area 2024 to 2025
GC_FRUITWHERE. As far as you know, have you ever played on any of these machines in an adults-only area or somewhere with a sign or sticker saying 18 years old and above? For example, an adult only section of an amusement arcade or holiday park.
Base: All participants (answering) who have played arcade gaming machines or fruit or slot machines and know machine played 2024 (1, 687), 2025 (1,985).
| Playing arcade gaming machines in an adults-only area | 2024 (percentage) | 2025 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2025 compared with 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 10% | 9% | No significant difference |
| No | 80% | 83% | Significant increase |
| Do not know | 10% | 8% | Significant decrease |
Types of gaming machine played Next section
Who young people were with in an adult-only area
Last updated: 13 November 2025
Show updates to this content
No changes to show.