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

Feeling informed about gambling

Young people were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with 2 statements to understand the extent to which they feel informed about the risks of gambling and to explore whether anyone has ever spoken to them about the potential problems gambling to lead to.

Young people generally felt well informed about the risks of gambling, with more than 4 in 5 (81%) agreeing. Notably, almost half (47%) strongly agreed with the statement, while only 4% disagreed that they were well informed.

Young people aged 14 to 17 were more likely than those aged 11 to 13 to agree that they felt well informed about the risks of gambling (85%, compared with 77%). There was also a difference regionally, as young people in Scotland were more likely than those in England and Wales to agree that they felt well informed about the risks of gambling (85%, compared with 81% in England and 75% in Wales).

Table 7.1: Feeling informed about the risks of gambling within past 12 months

GC_ATTINF. Thinking about gambling for money, how strongly do you agree or disagree with the statement below?
Base: All participants (answering) 'I feel well informed about the risks of gambling' 2026 (3,737).

Table 7.1: Feeling informed about the risks of gambling within past 12 months

I feel well informed about the risks of gambling	2026 (percentage)
Strongly agree and agree (net)	81%
Strongly agree	47%
Agree	34%
Neither agree nor disagree	7%
Disagree	2%
Strongly disagree	2%
Do not know	8%

Previous section
Summary Next section
Speaking to someone about gambling problems

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Last updated: 12 November 2026

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