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

Engagement with gambling-related content on social media

Around 1 in 7 (15%) young people followed gambling companies (including those who provide betting, bingo and lottery activities and gamblers who stream their gambling or provide content about it) through at least one social media and or streaming platform. The most frequently cited platforms were TikTok (10%), YouTube (8%), Snapchat (6%) and Instagram (5%).  

Figure 4.4: Engagement with gambling-related content on social media and streaming platforms within the past 12 months

Figure 4.4 information

GC_SOCIALMED. Do you follow any gambling companies on any of the following social media or streaming platforms?
Base: All participants answering 2026 (3,699).
Note: this is a multiple response question, therefore answers will not add up to 100%.

Engagement with gambling-related content on social media and streaming platforms within the past 12 months

Social media and streaming platform engagement with gambling companies	2026 (percentage) (this is a multiple response question; therefore, answers will not add up to 100%)
Yes	15%
Yes, on TikTok	10%
Yes, on YouTube	8%
Yes, on Snapchat	6%
Yes, on Instagram	5%
Yes, on Twitter or X	4%
Yes, on Facebook	3%
Yes, on Twitch	3%
No	73%
No, I do not follow any gambling on social media and/or streaming platforms	69%
No, I do not use social media and/or streaming platforms	5%
Do not know or cannot remember	12%

There were variations by sub-group in terms of young people who were more likely to follow gambling companies on social media or streaming platforms. Notably:

• young people actively involved in gambling within the last 12 months were significantly more likely to follow gambling companies through at least one social media and or streaming platform (22%, compared with the overall figure of 15%)
• boys were significantly more likely than girls to follow gambling companies through at least one social media and or streaming platform (19% of boys, compared with 10% of girls)
• those young people who had seen a family member gamble were more likely than those who had not to follow gambling companies on social media and or streaming platforms (20%, compared with 12%).

Young people who do not feel well informed about the risks of gambling were more likely to follow gambling companies on social media or streaming platforms, than those who felt informed (29%, and 14%, respectively). Young people who considered themselves to be risk-takers were also more likely than those who did not consider themselves to be risk-takers to follow gambling-related content (23%, compared with 9%).

The overall proportion of young people who follow gambling-related content on social media or streaming platforms has remained broadly stable at 15% in 2026, compared with 16% in 2025. As has the split by the different types of social media, as shown in Table 4.3.

Table 4.3: Engagement with gambling-related content on social media and streaming platforms 2025 to 2026

GC_SOCIALMED. Do you follow any gambling companies on any of the following social media or streaming platforms?
Base: All answering 2025 (3,519), 2026 (3,699).
Note: This is a multiple response question, so the responses shown will not add up to 100%.

Table 4.3: Engagement with gambling-related content on social media and streaming platforms 2025 to 2026

Response	2025 (percentage) (multiple response question, answers do not sum to 100%)	2026 (percentage) (multiple response question, answers do not sum to 100%)	Statistical differences 2026 compared with 2025
Yes	16%	15%	No significant difference
Yes, on TikTok	11%	10%	No significant difference
Yes, on YouTube	9%	8%	No significant difference
Yes, on Instagram	6%	5%	No significant difference
Yes, on Snapchat	6%	6%	No significant difference
Yes, on Twitter or X	4%	4%	No significant difference
Yes, on Twitch	3%	3%	No significant difference
Yes, on Facebook	3%	3%	No significant difference

Previous section
Perceived impact of gambling adverts on unplanned spending Next section
The role of influencers in advertising gambling-related content

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Last updated: 12 November 2026

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