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
Impact of seeing a family member gamble
Young people who had ever seen family members gamble were asked if this had affected specific aspects of their lives either rarely, sometimes, often, all of the time or never. A combination figure for ‘sometimes’, ‘often’, or ‘all of the time’ has been used to report the impact that gambling can have on young people’s well-being, unless specified otherwise.
Of young people, 1 in 10 (10%) say that their family’s gambling has helped to pay for other things or activities, for example, holidays, trips, clubs. Smaller proportions of young people reported that family members gambling impacted on parents or guardians having time to spend with young people (4%) or had stopped them from having enough food (3%). However, 1 in 20 (5%) reported that family gambling had led to more arguments or tension at home.
There were few demographic differences across these measures. However, young people from ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely than those from white ethnic groups to report that family gambling had led to more arguments or tension at home (10%, compared with 4%).
While there was an overall increase in the proportion of young people who reported ever having witnessed a family member they live with gamble, this increase was not reflected in reported impacts experienced in the last 12 months. There was no significant change in the proportion reporting that family gambling had helped pay for activities (9% in 2025 and 10% in 2026), led to insufficient food (2% and 3% respectively), or resulted in parents or guardians having less time to spend with them (4% in both years). However, the proportion reporting that family gambling had led to arguments or tension at home decreased from 7% in 2025 to 5% in 2026.
Table 5.2: The impact of family members’ gambling on young people’s well-being 2025 to 2026
GC_FAMGAMFOOD, GC_FAMGAMPAY, GC_FAMLEDTME, GC_FAMLEDARG. Thinking about the last 12 months, how often, if at all...
Base: All answering who have seen family members live with gamble – 'Stopped you from having enough food (food at home or money on school canteen card and/or account” 2025 (997), 2026 (1,261);
'Helped your family pay for other things or activities' 2025 (1,000), 2026 (1,262);
'Your parents or guardians having less time to spend with you' 2025 (999), 2026 (1,261);
'More arguments or tension at home', 2025 (1,000), 2026 (1,256).
| Helped your family pay for other things or activities | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never | 76% | 75% | No significant difference |
| Rarely | 10% | 10% | No significant difference |
| Sometimes | 7% | 7% | No significant difference |
| Often | 1% | 2% | Significant increase |
| All the time | 1% | 2% | Significant increase |
| Do not know | 6% | 5% | No significant difference |
| Sometimes, often and all the time | 9% | 10% | No significant difference |
| Stopped you from having enough food | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
| Never | 94% | 94% | No significant difference |
| Rarely | 1% | 2% | Significant increase |
| Sometimes | N/A | 1% | No significant difference |
| Often | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| All the time | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| Do not know | 2% | 2% | No significant difference |
| Sometimes, often and all the time | 2% | 3% | No significant difference |
| Your parents or guardians having less time to spend with you | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
| Never | 90% | 90% | No significant difference |
| Rarely | 3% | 2% | No significant difference |
| Sometimes | 2% | 2% | No significant difference |
| Often | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| All the time | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| Do not know | 2% | 3% | No significant difference |
| Sometimes, often and all the time | 4% | 4% | No significant difference |
| More arguments or tension at home | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
| Never | 87% | 85% | No significant difference |
| Rarely | 4% | 6% | Significant increase |
| Sometimes | 3% | 3% | No significant difference |
| Often | 2% | 1% | No significant difference |
| All the time | 2% | 1% | No significant difference |
| Do not know | 3% | 3% | No significant difference |
| Sometimes, often and all the time | 7% | 5% | Significant decrease |
Experience of ever seeing a family member gambling Next section
Impact on sleep
Last updated: 12 November 2026
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