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 on school attendance and relationships
The following 3 questions form part of the youth adapted Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition – Multiple Response Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J) screen.
A net figure for 'At least once' has been used to report the impact that gambling can have on young people. This was derived from responses of ‘once or twice’, ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’.
The impact of gambling on school attendance
Young people were asked whether gambling had ever led to them missing school in the past 12 months.
A small proportion (3%) of those who had spent their own money gambling in the last 12 months, noted that this had led them to missing school.
Figure 5.4: The impact of gambling on school attendance within the past 12 months
Figure 5.4 information
GC_LEDRISKEDSCHL. In the past 12 months has your gambling ever led to the following?
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering who have spent their own money gambling in the last 12 months 'Missing school' 2026 (947).
| The impact of gambling on school attendance | 2026 (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Never | 97% |
| Once or twice | 1% |
| Sometimes | 1% |
| Often | 1% |
| Ever | 3% |
The proportion of young people who reported that gambling had led them to miss school at least once in the past 12 months remained at low levels between 2025 and 2026 (2% and 3% respectively), with no statistically significant change over time.
Table 5.4: The impact of gambling on school attendance 2025 to 2026
GC_LEDRISKEDSCHL. In the past 12 months has your gambling ever led to the following?
Base: All participants (answering) who have spent their own money on gambling in the last 12 months 'Missing school' 2025 (1,056) 2026 (947).
| Missing school | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| My gambling has never led to this | 98% | 97% | No significant difference |
| Once or twice | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| Sometimes | 0% | 1% | Significant increase |
| Often | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| Done so at least once in the past 12 months | 2% | 3% | No significant difference |
The impact of gambling on relationships
Young people who had gambled with their own money in the last 12 months were asked whether gambling had affected their relationships with family and friends.
Most young people who had used their own money to gamble, said this had never led to telling lies to family or friends (94%), or arguments (93%). However, 6% reported they had ever told lies to family or friends or got into arguments (7%) because of gambling in the past 12 months.
Reports of gambling leading to difficulties in relationships were more common among young people with higher DSM-IV-MR-J scores, with 39% of those scoring 2 or 3 telling lies to family or friends. Similarly, 39% of young people scoring 2 or 3 reported that gambling had led to arguments with family or friends.
Figure 5.5: Extent to which gambling had led to lying and arguing with family or friends or others within the past 12 months
Figure 5.5 information
GC_LEDLYING GC_LEDRISKEDFAM. In the past 12 months has your gambling ever led to the following?
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering who have spent their own money gambling in the last 12 months 'Telling lies to family and/or friends or others' 2026 (948), 'Arguments with family and/or friends' 2026 (951).
| Extent to which gambling led to lying and arguing with family and/or friends or others | 2026 (percentage) | |
|---|---|---|
| Telling lies to family and/or friends or others | Arguments with family and/or friends or others | |
| Never | 94% | 93% |
| Once or twice | 4% | 6% |
| Sometimes | 1% | 0% |
| Often | 1% | 1% |
| Ever | 6% | 7% |
Despite changes in some measures of exposure to gambling, there was no indication of an increase in gambling-related impacts on relationships. The proportion of young people reporting that gambling had caused them to lie to family, friends or others remained broadly unchanged between 2025 and 2026 (5% and 6%, respectively), while the proportion reporting arguments with family, friends or others was unchanged at 7% in both years.
Table 5.5: Extent to which gambling had led to lying and arguing with family or friends or others 2025 to 2026
GC_LEDLYING GC_LEDRISKEDFAM. In the past 12 months has your gambling ever led to the following?
Base: All participants (answering) who have spent their own money on gambling in the last 12 months 'Telling lies to family or friends or others' 2025 (1,058); 2026 (948), 'Arguments with family or friends or others' 2025 (1,058); 2026 (951).
| Telling lies to family or friends or others | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| My gambling has never led to this | 95% | 94% | No significant difference |
| Once or twice | 3% | 4% | No significant difference |
| Sometimes | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| Often | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| Done so at least once in the past 12 months | 5% | 6% | No significant difference |
| Arguments with family or friends or others | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
| My gambling has never led to this | 93% | 93% | No significant difference |
| Once or twice | 4% | 6% | Significant increase |
| Sometimes | 2% | 0% | Significant decrease |
| Often | 1% | 1% | No significant difference |
| Done so at least once in the past 12 months | 7% | 7% | No significant difference |
Impact on wellbeing
Last updated: 12 November 2026
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