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
Summary
This section covers young people’s recall of gambling adverts, including the frequency and perceived impact of exposure, as well as their experiences of following gambling-related content on social media, streaming platforms and influencers.
Most young people (79 percent) recalled having seen or heard adverts or promotion about gambling through at least one online (74 percent) or offline (77 percent) source. TV, apps and social media were the most frequently cited sources (64 percent, 63 percent and 56 percent respectively).
The data indicates that social media, apps, and live streaming or video-sharing platforms are the most frequently mentioned channels through which young people encounter gambling-related advertisements on a weekly basis. Specifically, 49 percent of young people reported seeing adverts on social media at least once a week, followed by 47 percent via apps and 46 percent via platforms like Twitch or YouTube. Overall, offline sources showing gambling-related adverts were typically seen less frequently, than online sources.
A minority of young people (7 percent) who recalled seeing a gambling-related advert reported that these promotions prompted them to spend money on gambling that they had not previously planned.
The 2025 survey highlights for the first time the role social media influencers, creators, and streamers play in exposing young people to gambling-related advertisements. Of the 16 percent of young individuals who follow gambling-related content on social media, 31 percent reported that influencers had advertised gambling-related content to them.
Next sectionRecall of gambling advertising or promotions
Last updated: 13 November 2025
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