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
Perceived impact of gambling adverts on unplanned spending
Young people who recalled having seen a gambling-related advert or promotion were asked if these adverts or promotions had ever prompted them to spend money on gambling that they were not otherwise planning to. Of young people, 1 in 10 (10%) said that they had felt prompted by these adverts to spend money on gambling.
Being prompted to spend money on gambling and actually participating in gambling are distinct concepts. The results show that 28% of those who said they had been prompted to spend money on gambling did not report participating in gambling elsewhere in the survey. This may reflect differences in how young people interpreted the question, reporting inconsistencies, or experiences that fell outside the survey's reference period or range of gambling activities. As with all self-reported survey data, findings should therefore be interpreted with appropriate caution.
Figure 4.3: The perceived impact of adverts on unplanned spending on gambling within the past 12 months
Figure 4.3 information
GC_ADSPEND. Have adverts or promotion about gambling ever prompted you to spend money on gambling when you were not otherwise planning to?
Base: All participants answering who have seen and/or heard any gambling adverts or promotions 2026 (3,201).
| The impact of gambling advertisements on unplanned spending | 2026 (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Yes | 10% |
| No | 81% |
| Do not know | 9% |
Boys were more likely than girls to report that gambling advertising or promotion had prompted them to spend money on gambling (11%, compared with 8%). There were no significant differences by age. Young people who had been actively involved in gambling during the previous 12 months were more likely than young people overall to report that gambling advertising or promotion had prompted them to spend money on gambling (13%, compared with 10%).
Young people who considered themselves to be risk-takers were more likely to report that gambling-related adverts had prompted them to spend money on gambling (15%, compared with 6%). Additionally, young people who had seen a family member gamble were more likely than those who had not seen a family member gamble to report they had been influenced by gambling-related adverts (14%, compared with 6%).
Most young people who had seen or heard gambling advertising or promotions reported that it had not prompted them to spend money on gambling when they had not otherwise planned to do so (81%). Nevertheless, the proportion reporting that gambling advertising had influenced their spending increased significantly from 7% in 2025 to 10% in 2026. No statistically significant changes were observed in the proportions answering 'no' or 'do not know'. As such, the findings point to an increase in the proportion reporting an influence of advertising on spending, although the majority of young people continue to report no such influence.
Table 4.2: The perceived impact of adverts on unplanned spending on gambling 2025 to 2026
GC_ADSPEND. Have adverts or promotion about gambling ever prompted you to spend money on gambling when you were not otherwise planning to?
Base: All answering who have seen and/or heard any gambling adverts or promotions 2025 (2,846), 2026 (3,201).
| Response | 2025 (percentage) | 2026 (percentage) | Statistical difference 2026 compared with 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 7% | 10% | Significant increase |
| No | 82% | 81% | No significant difference |
| Do not know | 10% | 9% | No significant difference |
Frequency of seeing or hearing gambling adverts or promotions Next section
Engagement with gambling-related content on social media
Last updated: 12 November 2026
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