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
The DSM-IV-MR-J problem gambler screen
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition - Multiple Response Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J) screen is applied to assess whether respondents who gamble are defined as experiencing ‘problems’ with their gambling. In the adolescent gambling field, this is one of the most widely used instruments to assess experience of ‘problem’ gambling among this age group. For more information see Fisher, S (2000). Developing the DSM-IV Criteria to Identify Adolescent Problem Gambling in Non-Clinical Populations, Journal of Gambling Studies Volume 16 No. 2/3 (opens in new tab).
Eligibility for the DSM-IV-MR-J screen
A 2-step eligibility criteria were used in applying the DSM-IV-MR-J screen. Firstly, respondents had to indicate that they had spent their own money on at least one gambling activity on at least one occasion in the last 12 months to answer the 9 criteria of the problem gambling screener. A full list of gambling activities can be found in Table A.1. Secondly, young people who answered ‘prefer not to say’ throughout the gambling screen were excluded.
In total, 1,002 individuals qualified for the DSM-IV-MR-J screen. Bases may vary slightly between the 9 criteria because some respondents did not answer every question.
Points were then allocated to each respondent based on the answers they gave to the 9 criteria (or questions) as set out in Table A.1. The points were then summed to produce an overall score, which was used to classify respondents into one of the following DSM-IV-MR-J categories.
The screen questions use frequency scales of ‘Never’, ‘Once or twice’, ‘Sometimes’ or ‘Often’. Each respondent was allocated a point for each of the 9 criteria that they met. Scores are grouped into the following categories:
DSM-IV-MR-J score 0 or 1: Representing a young person who does not experience any ‘problems’ with their gambling.
DSM-IV-MR-J score 2 or 3: Representing a young person who is ‘at-risk’.
DSM-IV-MR-J score 4 or more: Representing a young person experiencing ‘problems’ with their gambling.
These categories are derived from scores on the DSM-IV-MR-J screening tool, which is designed to identify indicators of gambling-related risk among young people. The measure is a screening instrument rather than a clinical diagnostic tool, and results should not be interpreted as a clinical diagnosis nor should it be confused with a measure of addiction. As the DSM-IV-MR-J has been specifically adapted for adolescent populations, including age-appropriate behaviours and scoring thresholds, findings are not directly comparable with either the adult DSM-IV measure or the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) commonly used in adult surveys.
Table A.1 indicates how the questions asked in 2026 mapped onto the DSM-IV-MR-J screen components and the percentage of young people who gave the required answers to each question when the scoring system was applied to the data.
Table A.1: Gambling criteria from the DSM-IV-MR-J screen
| 2026 question name | DSM-IV criteria | Question wording: ‘In the past 12 months...’ | If any of the following answer criteria are ticked, that qualifies as 1 point | Young people scoring | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | Number of participants | ||||
| GC_PREOCC | Pre-occupation | How often have you found yourself thinking about gambling or planning to gamble | ‘Often’ | 1% | (49) |
| GC_ESCAPE | Escape | How often have you gambled to help you escape from problems or when you are feeling bad | ‘Sometimes’ or ‘often’ | 1% | (33) |
| GC_WITHD | Withdrawal | Have you felt bad or fed up when trying to cut down on gambling | ‘Sometimes’ or ‘often’ | 1% | (30) |
| GC_TOLERNCE | Tolerance | Have you needed to gamble with more and more money to get the amount of excitement you want | ‘Sometimes’ or ‘often’ | 1% | (49) |
| GC_LOSSCON | Loss of control | Have you ever spent much more than you planned to on gambling | ‘Often’ | 1% | (25) |
| GC_ILLEGAL | Taken money | Have you ever taken money from any of the following without permission to spend on gambling: dinner money or fare money, money from family, money from things you’ve sold, money from outside the family, somewhere else | If any one or more of these options are ticked, then qualifies for one point in total | 2% | (84) |
| GC_LEDRISKEDFAM and GC_LEDRISKEDSCHL | Risked relationships | Has your gambling ever led to the following: a) arguments with family or friends or others, b) missing school |
If any of the following are ticked, then qualifies for one point in total: ‘once or twice’, ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ | 2% 1% |
(71) (29) |
| GC_LEDLYING | Lying | Has your gambling ever led to telling lies to family or friends or others | ‘Once or twice’ ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ | 2% | (62) |
| GC_CHASING | Chasing | After losing money by gambling, have you returned another day to try to win back the money you lost | ‘More than half the time’ or ‘every time’ | 1% | (44) |
All percentages shown are based on the full sample of 3,867 11 to 17 year olds. Percentages and numbers shown in table A.1 are based on weighted data.
Interpretating information derived from the DSM-IV-MR-J gambler screen
Eligibility for the DSM-IV-MR-J screen is based on whether a young person reported spending their own money on at least one gambling activity during the previous 12 months. It is not based on how frequently or how recently within that period they gambled. A young person may therefore report relatively low levels of recent participation, including no gambling during the previous 7 days, while still being eligible to complete the screen and potentially meeting the criteria for a DSM-IV-MR-J classification. This reflects the purpose of the screen, which is to identify reported behaviours and experiences associated with gambling-related difficulties, rather than to measure the frequency or volume of gambling participation.
The eligibility criteria also do not distinguish between age-restricted and non-age-restricted gambling activities. Young people may be eligible for the screen after spending their own money on any of the 17 gambling activities included in the survey, including activities that are not age-restricted, such as playing arcade gaming machines or betting privately with friends or family. This is because the screen is intended to identify reported behaviours and consequences associated with gambling, rather than compliance with age-based legal restrictions. A young person may report the behaviours or consequences captured by the DSM-IV-MR-J regardless of whether the activity itself is one they are legally permitted to undertake.
The resulting classifications should be interpreted alongside information about the young person’s gambling participation and other relevant contextual measures. Young people within the same scoring category may differ in the number and types of gambling activities they report, the frequency and recency of their participation, and the particular criteria contributing to their score. A classification should not therefore be interpreted as indicating that all young people within that category have similar patterns of gambling involvement or experience the same nature or severity of gambling-related difficulties.
The DSM-IV-MR-J is a recognised youth-adapted screening instrument, rather than a clinical diagnostic tool. Its classifications are derived from young people’s self-reported responses and are not equivalent to a clinical diagnosis. As the screening instrument was specifically adapted for young people and uses age-appropriate behaviours and scoring thresholds, findings are not directly comparable with the adult DSM-IV measure or the PGSI commonly used in adult surveys.
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Research design
Last updated: 12 November 2026
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