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
Frequency of seeing or hearing gambling adverts or promotions
Young people who saw or heard a gambling-related advert and/or promotion were asked how frequently this happened.
Between a third and a half of young people noted seeing or hearing them at least once a week through the different channels and/or sources cited. Young people were most likely to cite social media (49 percent), on an app (47 percent) and live streaming or video sharing platforms as channels (46 percent) through which they had seen or heard these adverts at least weekly.
There were variations by gender, with boys more likely than girls to recall having seen or heard gambling adverts or promotions at least once a week via all the different channels listed. The largest differences between boys and girls in seeing adverts at least once week were on social media (58 percent of boys, compared with 38 percent of girls), on live streaming or video sharing platforms (53 percent of boys, compared with 35 percent of girls), and on apps (55 percent of boys, compared with 37 percent of girls).
Figure 4.2: Frequency of seeing or hearing gambling adverts or promotions (proportion who had seen and/or heard at least once a week) within the past 12 months
Figure 4.2 information
GC_ADFREQ. And how often do you see or hear adverts or promotion about gambling in the following places?
Base: All answering “On social media” 2025 (1,955). “On an app” 2025 (2,179). “On TV” 2025 (2,258). “On the radio” 2025 (1,392). “On live streaming or video sharing platforms” 2025 (1,478). “At a sports event” 2025 (1,648). “On another website” 2025 (1,269). “On a podcast” 2025 (678). “On posters and/or billboards” 2025 (1,566). “In newspapers or magazines” 2025 (1,341).
Note: This is a multiple response question, so the responses shown will not add up to 100 percent.
| Frequency of seeing or hearing gambling advertisements or promotions (at least once a week) | 2025 (percentage) (this is a multiple response question; therefore, answers will not add up to 100 percent) |
|---|---|
| On social media (including Snapchat, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok) | 49% |
| On an app | 47% |
| On live streaming or video sharing platforms (including Twitch and YouTube) | 46% |
| On TV | 43% |
| On the radio | 42% |
| At a sports event (for example at football stadiums or on players' shirts or around the pitch) | 40% |
| On another website | 40% |
| On a podcast | 38% |
| On posters or billboards | 33% |
| In newspapers or magazines | 28% |
The overall proportion of young people who recall having seen gambling-related adverts or promotion weekly is consistent with 2024. Social media (46 percent in 2024 and 49 percent in 2025) and an app (45 percent in 2024 and 47 percent in 2025) continue to be highlighted as the most likely sources of gambling-related advertisements seen weekly.
However, the proportion of young people seeing gambling-related advertisements weekly on TV (43 percent) fell out of the top 3 primary sources and was replaced by live streaming or video sharing platforms (46 percent). The data also continues to show that offline sources, such as newspapers and posters and/or billboards, are less likely to be seen on a weekly basis and more likely to be seen less frequently.
This trend aligns with the shift towards digital consumption, as highlighted in a 2025 Ofcom report (opens in new tab) showing that 96 percent of 13 to 17-year-olds are active online and thus encounter more advertisements on digital platforms such as social media.
Table 4.2: Frequency of seeing or hearing gambling adverts or promotions (proportion who had seen and/or heard at least once a week) 2024 to 2025
GC_ADFREQ. And how often, do you see or hear adverts or promotion about gambling in the following places
Base: All answering “On social media” 2024 (1,843). “On an app” 2024 (1,989). “On TV” 2024 (2,055). “On the radio” 2024 (1,218). “On live streaming or video sharing platforms” 2024 (1,323). “At a sports event” 2024 (1,513). “On another website” 2024 (1,206). “On a podcast” 2024 (634). “On posters and/or billboards” 2024 (1,429). “In newspapers or magazines” 2024 (1,295). “Somewhere else” 2024 (775).
Base: All answering “On social media” 2025 (1,955). “On an app” 2025 (2,179). “On TV” 2025 (2,258). “On the radio” 2025 (1,392). “On live streaming or video sharing platforms” 2025 (1,478). “At a sports event” 2025 (1,648). “On another website” 2025 (1,269). “On a podcast” 2025 (678). “On posters and/or billboards” 2025 (1,566). “In newspapers or magazines” 2025 (1,341).
Note: This is a multiple response question, so the responses shown will not add up to 100 percent.
| Frequency of seeing and/or hearing gambling promotions and/or adverts at least once a week | 2024 (percentage) (multiple response question, answers do not sum to 100 percent) |
2025 (percentage) (multiple response question, answers do not sum to 100 percent) |
Statistical differences 2025 compared with 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On social media (including Snapchat, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok) | 46% | 49% | No significant difference |
| On an app | 45% | 47% | No significant difference |
| On live streaming or video sharing platforms (including Twitch, YouTube) | 43% | 46% | No significant difference |
| On TV | 44% | 43% | No significant difference |
| On the radio | 41% | 42% | No significant difference |
| At a sports event (for example at football stadiums or on players' shirts or around the pitch) | 40% | 40% | No significant difference |
| On another website | 39% | 40% | No significant difference |
| On a podcast | 38% | 38% | No significant difference |
| On posters or billboards | 33% | 33% | No significant difference |
| In newspapers or magazines | 32% | 28% | Significant decrease |
Recall of gambling advertising or promotions Next section
Perceived impact of gambling adverts on unplanned spending
Last updated: 13 November 2025
Show updates to this content
No changes to show.