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
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- 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
Experience of ever seeing a family member gambling
Around one-third (35%) of young people have ever seen a family member they live with gamble. As shown in Figure 5.1, 50% have not and a further 15% were unsure and answered, ‘Do not know’.
Analysis by sub-group highlights variations in who is more likely to report seeing a family member gamble. For example, young people aged 14 to 17 were more likely than those aged 11 to 13 to report having seen a family member gamble (39%, compared with 28%).
Young people from white ethnic groups were also more likely than those from ethnic minority backgrounds to report having seen a family member gamble (40%, compared with 24%).
Young people who reported gambling themselves were more likely to have seen a family member gamble. Around 4 in 10 (42%) young people who had experienced any gambling activity in the last 12 months reported having seen a family member gamble, rising to 46% among those who had actively participated in gambling in the same period.
Figure 5.1: Experience of ever seeing family members gambling
Figure 5.1 information
GC_FAMGAM. Have you ever seen any of the family members that you live with gambling? When we talk about gambling, we mean any activity which involves risking money (or something of value) in a game or a bet in the hope of winning money or a prize.
Base: All participants answering 2026 (3,716).
| Experience of family member gambling | 2026 (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Yes | 35% |
| No | 50% |
| Do not know | 15% |
There was a significant increase in the proportion of young people who reported ever having seen a family member they live with gamble, rising from 29% in 2025 to 35% in 2026. As this question asks about experiences at any point in a young person's life, rather than in a defined timeframe, year-on-year changes should be interpreted cautiously.
Table 5.1: Experience of family member gambling 2025 to 2026
GC_FAMGAM. Have you ever seen any of the family members that you live with gambling? When we talk about gambling, we mean any activity which involves risking money (or something of value) in a game or a bet in the hope of winning money or a prize.
Base: All participants answering 2025 (3,484), 2026 (3,716).
| Experience of family member gambling | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical differences 2026 compared with 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 29% | 35% | Significant increase |
| No | 57% | 50% | Significant decrease |
| Do not know | 14% | 15% | No significant difference |
Summary Next section
Impact of seeing a family member gamble
Last updated: 12 November 2026
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