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
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- 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
Gambling in the context of other risk taking behaviours
The survey also measures young people’s self-reported involvement in other risk-taking behaviours, such as smoking, drinking, and drug taking, to set gambling participation in context.
Around a third (34 percent) of young people have drunk alcohol in the past 12 months. This is followed by 13 percent who vaped, 5 percent who smoked, and 5 percent who took illegal drugs (including cannabis). The proportion of young people participating in each of these activities, apart from active involvement in gambling, has decreased over time, as shown in Table 1.7.
Broadly speaking young people who report participation in each of these risk-taking behaviours are from the older age groups, consider themselves a risk-taker, and are from white ethnic backgrounds, which aligns with the findings for gambling participation. Looking at this in more detail, there are higher levels of drinking and vaping among young people who have actively gambled. Half (50 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 (34 percent overall). Similarly, 21 percent of those who gambled with their own money in the same period had vaped, compared with 13 percent of the total sample.
Figure 1.6: Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months
Figure 1.6 information
GC_ACTIVITY: Please look at the list and for each activity, select when, if ever, you have done this.
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering who have drunk alcoholic drink 2025 (3,488), used an e-cigarette and/or vape 2025 (3,503), smoked tobacco cigarette 2025 (3,533), taken illegal drugs 2025 (3,534).
GAMSPEND4. And when did you last spend money on [this activity or these activities]? Was it…?
GC_GAMSPENDWHEN. When did you last do this activity? Was it
Summary of gambling in last 7 days, 4 weeks or 12 months.
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering 2025 (3,666).
| Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months | 2025 (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Experienced gambling in the last 12 months | 49% |
| Drunk an alcoholic drink | 34% |
| Active involvement in gambling | 30% |
| Used an e-cigarette and/or vape | 13% |
| Taken illegal drugs (including cannabis) | 5% |
| Smoked a tobacco cigarette | 5% |
Table 1.7: Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months 2024 to 2025
GC_ACTIVITY. Please look at the list and for each activity, select when, if ever, you have done this.
Base: All answering who have drunk alcoholic drink 2024 (3,152), 2025 (3,488), used an e-cigarette and/or vape 2024 (3,163), 2025 (3,503), smoked tobacco cigarette 2024 (3,198), 2025 (3,533), taken illegal drugs 2024 (3,190), 2025 (3,534).
GC_GAMSPENDWHEN. When did you last do this activity? Was it…?
Summary of gambling in last 7 days, 4 weeks or 12 months.
GAMSPEND4. And when did you last spend money on [this activity or these activities]? Was it …?
Base: All answering 2024 (3,869), 2025 (3,666).
| Risk-taking behaviours in the past 12 months in 2024 and 2025 | 2024 (percentage) | 2025 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2025 compared with 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experienced gambling in the last 12 months | 44% | 49% | Significant increase |
| Drunk an alcoholic drink | 37% | 34% | Significant decrease |
| Spent money on any gambling activity in last 12 months | 27% | 30% | Significant increase |
| Used an e-cigarette and/or vape | 15% | 13% | Significant decrease |
| Smoked a tobacco cigarette | 8% | 5% | Significant decrease |
| Taken illegal drugs (including cannabis) | 7% | 5% | Significant decrease |
Gambling in the context of what young people do in their spare time
Last updated: 13 November 2025
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