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
Wider experience and active involvement in gambling
Three in five (59 percent) 11 to 17 year olds have some experience of gambling, with half (49 percent) taking part in at least one gambling activity in the last 12 months. This experience of gambling does not necessarily involve spending their own money. The overall proportion of young people who were actively involved with gambling (such as spent their own money on it) within the last 12 months was 30 percent, decreasing to 16 percent within the last 4 weeks, and to 6 percent within the last 7 days.
Figure 1.1: Wider experience and active involvement in gambling
Figure 1.1 information
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering 2025 (3,666).
Note: the chart and table show results for different questions asked in the survey, so the responses shown will not add up to 100 percent.
| Wider experience and active involvement in gambling | 2025 (percentage) (results for different questions asked in survey therefore answers will not add up to 100 percent) |
|---|---|
| Ever experienced gambling | 59% |
| Experienced gambling in the last 12 months | 49% |
| Spent money on gambling in last 12 months | 30% |
| Spent money on gambling in last 4 weeks | 16% |
| Spent money on gambling in last 7 days | 6% |
Experience of gambling within the last 12 months was more prevalent among young people from white ethnic groups than those young people from ethnic minority backgrounds (55 percent, compared with 35 percent). Those who had seen their family members gamble were also more likely to have gambled in the last 12 months, compared with those who had not (66 percent, compared with 42 percent). Young people who considered themselves to be risk-takers were also more likely to have gambled in the last 12 months, compared with those who did not consider themselves to be a risk-taker (56 percent, compared with 43 percent).
Compared with 2024, the proportion of young people who have some experience of gambling has increased from 52 percent to 59 percent in 2025. There has also been an increase in those who have experienced gambling in the last 12 months; from 44 percent in 2024 to 49 percent in 2025.
The levels of active involvement in gambling within the last 12 months has also increased from 27 to 30 percent. However, active involvement within the past 7 days has remained consistent.
Table 1.1: Wider experience and active involvement in gambling 2024 to 2025
Base: All answering 2024 (3,869), 2025 (3,666).
Note: The table shows results for different questions asked in the survey, so the responses shown will not add up to 100 percent.
| Wider experience and active involvement in gambling in 2024 and 2025 | 2024 (percentage) (answers do not sum to 100 percent as chart shows more than one question) |
2025 (percentage) (answers do not sum to 100 percent as chart shows more than one question) |
Statistical difference 2025 compared with 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ever experienced gambling | 52% | 59% | Significant increase |
| Experienced gambling in last 12 months | 44% | 49% | Significant increase |
| Spent money on gambling in last 12 months | 27% | 30% | Significant increase |
| Spent money on gambling in last 4 weeks | 14% | 16% | Significant increase |
| Spent money on gambling last 7 days | 6% | 6% | No significant difference |
Summary Next section
Experience of different categories of gambling activities
Last updated: 13 November 2025
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