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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.

Published
12 November 2026

Last updated
12 November 2026 - Changes

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Contents

Summary

This section focuses on young people’s experience and active involvement with gambling activities, games and gaming machines in the last 12 months. It highlights the most popular forms of gaming machines, as well as who young people are with when playing games, and the extent to which they have been played in adult-only areas of venues such as holiday parks and arcades. This chapter also explores young people's awareness and use of in-game purchasing features, including virtual items and loot boxes or surprise boxes, and how these features are accessed and used.

Definitions

Games and gaming machines

This includes the following activities:

  • played arcade gaming machines (for example penny pusher or claw grab machine)
  • played fruit or slot machines (for example at an arcade, pub or social club)
  • played gambling machines in a betting shop
  • played cards for money (for example with friends or family).

Accessing adults-only areas

Young people who recalled playing arcade gaming machines were asked if they had ever done so in an adults-only area, for example an adults (18 years old and above) only section of an amusement arcade, bowling alley, holiday park or pub.

In-game features

When playing video games, young people may be able to obtain or use virtual items, such as skins, clothes, weapons, accessories or players. This report explores awareness and use of different in-game features, including buying virtual items with real money or in-game currency, opening virtual loot boxes or surprise boxes, paying to play casino-style games within a game, and betting with in-game items on websites outside of the game being played.

The survey findings demonstrate that arcade gaming machines were the most popular form of gaming among young people, with 32% having played these machines in the last 12 months. Fruit and slot machines (5%) and gambling machines in betting shops (1%) were less frequently played.

Among young people who played arcade gaming machines, claw or grab machines were the most popular (75%), followed by penny falls or penny pusher machines (69%). Around 1 in 14 young people (7%) who had played on arcade gaming machines reported doing so in an adult-only area. While the majority (56%) did so in the company of a parent, carer or guardian, 18% were alone at the time.

The 2026 survey also examined young people's experiences with online gambling. 7% reported taking part in at least one online gambling activity in the past 12 months. This includes 3% who had placed a bet on a betting website or app, 3% who played an online game on a casino website and 2% who played bingo online.

In the past 12 months, 1 in 10 young people (10%) engaged in lottery-style games. National Lottery scratchcards were the most popular format, played by 8%. Smaller proportions played the National Lottery draw, either with a physical ticket or online (3%), National Lottery online instant win games (1%) or other lotteries (1%). The majority of young people who played the National Lottery draw (78%) and National Lottery Scratchcards (94%) had the ticket or scratchcard purchased for them by someone else.

Of the small number of young people who played National Lottery games online, 10% did so using their parents' or guardians' accounts without permission. Additionally, 8% reported using a parent’s or guardian’s account without permission to access gambling websites or place bets online.

Awareness of in-game purchasing features was widespread among young people. Overall, 82% were aware of at least one type of in-game purchasing activity, indicating that these features are a familiar aspect of the gaming environment for most young people. The best-known activities were buying virtual items with their own money (80%) and purchasing virtual items using in-game currency without spending real money (79%). Awareness was also high for virtual loot boxes or surprise boxes, with around three-quarters of young people recognising both opening them with in-game money (76%) and opening them using their own or their parents' and/or carers' money (73%). The relatively small differences across activities suggest that awareness extends across a broad range of in-game purchasing features rather than being concentrated on a single type.

Awareness of in-game purchasing features was high and was generally accompanied by use. Among young people who were aware of virtual items, 84% had engaged with at least one such feature. The most common activities were buying virtual items with in-game currency (65%), purchasing virtual items with real money (60%), and opening loot boxes or surprise boxes using in-game currency (54%). Personal bank accounts (58%) and gift cards (57%) were the most commonly used payment methods.

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Overall experience of playing games and gaming machines
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