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 sleep
Young people who had ever seen family members in their household gamble, were asked how often, if at all, they lost sleep because they worried about the gambling of a family member or someone else who is responsible for looking after them.
Of young people, 1 in 20 (5%) had lost sleep, at least once in the past 12 months, because they were worrying about the gambling of a family member or someone who is responsible for looking after them.
As previously noted, a net figure 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’. This finding is consistent across all subgroups.
Figure 5.2: The impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people’s sleep due to worry within the past 12 months
Figure 5.2 information
GC_SLEEPFAMGAM. Over the past year, how often, if at all, have you lost sleep at night because...
Base: All 11 to 17 year olds answering, 'You have been worrying about the gambling of a family member or someone who is responsible for looking after you' 2026 (1,225).
| The impact that family members’ gambling can have on young people’s sleep due to worry | 2026 (percentage) (You have been worrying about the gambling of a family member or someone who is responsible for looking after you) |
|---|---|
| Never | 86% |
| Rarely | 6% |
| Sometimes | 3% |
| Often | 1% |
| All the time | 2% |
| Do not know | 2% |
| Sometimes, often and all the time | 5% |
Impact of seeing a family member gamble Next section
Impact on wellbeing
Last updated: 12 November 2026
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