Report

Young People and Gambling 2026: Official statistics

Gambling Commission report produced by Ipsos on young people and their gambling behaviour, attitudes and awareness in 2026.

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Published
12 November 2026

Last updated
12 November 2026 - Changes

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Contents

• Young People and Gambling 2026: Official statistics

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• Executive summary
• • Introduction
  • Headlines
  • Survey strengths and limitations
  • Presentation and interpretation of data
  • Key terms used in the report
  • Acknowledgements
• Wider experience of gambling
• • Summary
  • Definitions
  • 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 experienced gambling
  • Being stopped from gambling for being too young
  • Gambling in the context of young people’s spare time activities
  • Gambling in the context of other risk-taking behaviours
• Active involvement in gambling and experience of problem gambling
• • Summary
  • Definitions
  • Young people's active involvement in gambling
  • Reasons why young people gamble
  • The youth adapted gambling screen
• Trends in gambling behaviours: 2022 to 2026
• • Summary
  • Experience of gambling
  • Active involvement in gambling
  • Trends in the youth adapted gambling screen
• Young people’s exposure to gambling
• • Summary
  • Recall of gambling advertising or promotions
  • Frequency of seeing or hearing gambling adverts or promotions
  • Perceived impact of gambling adverts on unplanned spending
  • Engagement with gambling-related content on social media
  • The role of influencers in advertising gambling-related content
• The impact of gambling on young people
• • Summary
  • Experience of ever seeing a family member gambling
  • Impact of seeing a family member gamble
  • Impact on sleep
  • Impact on wellbeing
  • Impact on school attendance and relationships
• Gambling activities and gaming
• • Summary
  • Overall experience of playing games and gaming machines
  • Types of gaming machine played
  • Playing arcade machines in adult-only areas
  • Who young people were with in an adult-only area
  • Online gambling
  • Lottery play
  • Gaming
• Perspectives on gambling: Awareness, attitudes and behaviours
• • Summary
  • Feeling informed about gambling
  • Speaking to someone about gambling problems
  • Feeling informed about gambling: 2025 to 2026
  • Reasons why young people do not gamble
  • Young people who consider themselves risk-takers
• Appendices
• • Introduction
  • The DSM-IV-MR-J problem gambler screen
  • Research design
  • List of gambling activities and definitions
  • Questionnaire

Definitions

Active involvement in gambling

Young people who participated in the survey were first asked if they had ever done any of the following list of 17 activities:

• National Lottery draw, for example Lotto, EuroMillions or Set for Life, either with a physical ticket or playing online
• National Lottery Scratchcards (not free Scratchcards)
• National Lottery online instant win games
• other lotteries (for example The Health Lottery, People’s Postcode Lottery, or other smaller lotteries)
• arcade gaming machines (for example penny pusher or claw grab machine)
• fruit or slot machines (for example at an arcade, pub or social club)
• gambling machines in a betting shop
• cards for money (for example with friends or family)
• bingo at a bingo club
• bingo at somewhere other than a bingo club (for example social club or holiday park)
• bingo online (for example Foxy Bingo, Gala Bingo or Tombola)
• bet for money between friends or family
• bet on esports (electronic sports such as playing video games competitively) online
• bet at a betting shop or bookies (for example on football or horse racing)
• bet on a betting website and/or app (for example on football or horse racing)
• game inside a casino in real life, not online
• online game on a casino website (for example online poker or online roulette for money).

Those who selected at least one of these activities were then asked if they had ever spent their own money on these activities, with ‘own money’ noted as meaning pocket money, birthday money or any money they earned themselves or got as a reward. Those who had spent their own money on at least one of the 17 listed activities were asked when they last spent their own money on the activities. Those who cited having spent their own money on any of these activities within the last 12 months are defined as being actively involved in gambling.

Experience of gambling

Young people are categorised as having some experience of gambling if they have ever done any of the 17 gambling activities previously listed but not necessarily spent their own money doing so.

Age restricted gambling

Gambling activities that are licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission and designed to ensure that those under 18 cannot participate. These activities include betting or casino gaming provided by a licensed operator online or from premises, playing National Lottery products or other lottery products, and playing gaming machines in betting shops.

Non-age restricted forms of gambling

This category covers gambling activities that fall outside the Commission's remit, such as non-commercial gambling between friends and family and bingo played somewhere other than a bingo club. It also includes gaming machines that can legally be used by children and young people under 18. The only exception within this category is bingo played somewhere other than a bingo club. Most instances are not age restricted; however, where bingo is played for money, it becomes age restricted.

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Young people's active involvement in gambling

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Last updated: 12 November 2026

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