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.
Contents
- Executive summary
- 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
- Trends in gambling behaviours: 2022 to 2026
- 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
Reasons why young people gamble
Around 4 in 5 young people (78%) who spent their own money gambling in the last 12 months did so because they regard it as ‘fun’. This is, by far, the most common reason given for active gambling. Around a third of young people gambled because they felt they had a good chance of winning something, even if not a big prize or jackpot (35%).
Of young people, 3 in 10 (30%) indicated that they gambled because the games are simple to play while 29% said they gambled to try to win money. Around a quarter said that gambling gave them something to do (27%) or because they felt they had a chance of winning a jackpot or big prize (26%).
According to the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) 2025, adults predominantly gamble ‘for the chance to win big money’ (84%). However, those aged 18 to 24 who participated in the adult survey were more likely to gamble because it is fun (83%), much like 11 to 17 year olds, for whom enjoyment remains the primary motivation for gambling. For more detail, please refer to Figure 2.2.
Figure 2.2: Reasons why young people gamble within the past 12 months
Figure 2.2 information
GC_SPENDWHY. Thinking about when you have spent your money on [gambling activity], why did you do this?
Base: All participants (answering) who spent their own money in the last 12 months on... 2026 (998).
Note: this is a multiple response question, therefore answers do not sum to 100%.
| Reasons why young people gamble | 2026 (percentage) (this is a multiple response question; therefore, answers do not sum to 100%) |
|---|---|
| Because it is fun | 78% |
| I have a good chance of winning something (even if not a big prize or jackpot) | 35% |
| The games are simple to play | 30% |
| To try to win money | 29% |
| It gives me something to do | 27% |
| I have a chance to win a jackpot or big prize | 26% |
| To get a buzz and/or because it is exciting | 23% |
| Because I like to take risks | 19% |
| Because it is cool | 15% |
| It helps me, cheers me up when I feel down, nervous or in a bad mood | 10% |
| It's something my parents or guardians do | 9% |
| Money goes to good causes | 8% |
| It is something my friends do or I do not want to feel left out | 8% |
| It is something my family and friends do | 2% |
| I have time and/or am on holiday | 1% |
Overall, young people's motivations for gambling remained broadly consistent between 2025 and 2026. However, some motivations became less prevalent in 2026. The proportion of young people who reported gambling to try to win money fell from 34% in 2025 to 29% in 2026. There was also a decrease in the proportion who said they gamble because they like to take risks (23% to 19%) and because it helps cheer them up when they feel down, nervous or in a bad mood (13% to 10%), as shown in Table 2.2.
Table 2.2: Reasons why young people gamble 2025 to 2026
GC_SPENDWHY: Thinking about when you have spent your money on [gambling activity], why did you do this?
Base: All answering who spent their own money in the last 12 months on... 2025 (1,108), 2026 (998).
Note: This is a multiple response questions, therefore answers do not sum to 100%.
| Reasons for gambling | 2025 (percentage) (multiple response question, therefore, answers do not sum to 100%) |
2026 (percentage) (multiple response question, therefore, answers do not sum to 100%) |
Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Because it is fun | 78% | 78% | No significant difference |
| I have a good chance of winning something (even if not a big prize or jackpot) | 36% | 35% | No significant difference |
| The games are simple to play | 31% | 30% | No significant difference |
| To try to win money | 34% | 29% | Significant decrease |
| It gives me something to do | 29% | 27% | No significant difference |
| I have a chance to win a jackpot or big prize | 28% | 26% | No significant difference |
| To get a buzz or because it is exciting | 22% | 23% | No significant difference |
| Because I like to take risks | 23% | 19% | Significant decrease |
| Because it is cool | 15% | 15% | No significant difference |
| It helps me or cheers me up when I feel down, nervous or in a bad mood | 13% | 10% | Significant decrease |
| It is something my parents or guardians do | 9% | 9% | No significant difference |
| Money goes to good causes | 9% | 8% | No significant difference |
| It is something my friends do or I do not want to feel left out | 7% | 8% | No significant difference |
Reasons for gambling: Demographic profile
Among young people who had spent their own money on gambling in the last 12 months, motivations for gambling varied by activity. Analysis was limited to the most commonly reported activities and gender, as these had sufficient sample sizes to allow robust comparisons.
While having fun was the most commonly cited reason across all activities, young people who played cards for money (43%) or bet with friends and family (40%) were more likely to report gambling to try to win money (29%) and because they enjoyed taking risks (19%). By contrast, participation in arcade gaming machines was more commonly linked to entertainment, with 4 in 5 of 11 to 17 year olds (80%) saying they played because it was fun. Young people who played fruit or slot machines were more likely than those participating in other activities to cite the chance of winning a jackpot or big prize (36%).
For both play on arcade gaming machines and betting for money between friends or family, boys were more likely than girls to report gambling to win money or because they liked taking risks:
- among young people who spent their own money on arcade gaming machines, boys were more likely than girls to report playing to try to win money (18%, compared with 9%) or because they enjoyed taking risks (12%, compared with 6%)
- among young people who bet for money between friends or family, boys were more likely than girls to report playing to try to win money (48%, compared with 29%) or because they enjoyed taking risks (27%, compared with 14%). For this activity boys were also more likely to say that it gives them something to do (23%, compared with 11%) and because it is cool (16%, compared with 3%).
Young people's active involvement in gambling Next section
The youth adapted gambling screen
Last updated: 12 November 2026
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