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.

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Published
12 November 2026

Last updated
12 November 2026 - Changes

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Contents

• Young People and Gambling 2026: Official statistics

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• Executive summary
• • Introduction
  • Headlines
  • Survey strengths and limitations
  • Presentation and interpretation of data
  • Key terms used in the report
  • Acknowledgements
• Wider experience of gambling
• • 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
• • Summary
  • Definitions
  • Young people's active involvement in gambling
  • Reasons why young people gamble
  • The youth adapted gambling screen
• Trends in gambling behaviours: 2022 to 2026
• • Summary
  • Experience of gambling
  • Active involvement in gambling
  • Trends in the youth adapted gambling screen
• Young people’s exposure to gambling
• • Summary
  • Recall of gambling advertising or promotions
  • Frequency of seeing or hearing gambling adverts or promotions
  • Perceived impact of gambling adverts on unplanned spending
  • Engagement with gambling-related content on social media
  • The role of influencers in advertising gambling-related content
• The impact of gambling on young people
• • Summary
  • Experience of ever seeing a family member gambling
  • Impact of seeing a family member gamble
  • Impact on sleep
  • Impact on wellbeing
  • Impact on school attendance and relationships
• Gambling activities and gaming
• • Summary
  • Overall experience of playing games and gaming machines
  • Types of gaming machine played
  • Playing arcade machines in adult-only areas
  • Who young people were with in an adult-only area
  • Online gambling
  • Lottery play
  • Gaming
• Perspectives on gambling: Awareness, attitudes and behaviours
• • Summary
  • Feeling informed about gambling
  • Speaking to someone about gambling problems
  • Feeling informed about gambling: 2025 to 2026
  • Reasons why young people do not gamble
  • Young people who consider themselves risk-takers
• Appendices
• • Introduction
  • The DSM-IV-MR-J problem gambler screen
  • Research design
  • List of gambling activities and definitions
  • Questionnaire

Summary

This section of the report examines the potential impact that young people may experience as a result of their own or someone else's gambling, including the impact on relationships with family and friends, school and quality of life.

To set the findings in context the section starts by exploring young people’s experience of seeing a family member gamble.

Around one-third (35%) of young people reported ever having seen a family member they live with gamble. Among these young people, 20% said that gambling had helped pay for activities. However, 12% reported arguments or tension at home, and 7% said that a parent or guardian had less time to spend with them because of their gambling.

Overall 12% of young people who witnessed a family member gamble lost sleep because of worrying about it. Around 1 in 10 (9%) reported that gambling among family members or people they lived with had made them feel sad or made them feel worried (11%).

The study used Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition - Multiple Response Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J) screen questions to identify the impact of gambling on young people. In the past 12 months, 3% of young gamblers missed school due to gambling. While most reported no issues, 6% had lied to family, friends or others and 7% had arguments with them.

Next section
Experience of ever seeing a family member gambling

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Last updated: 12 November 2026

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