Report
Young people and gambling: Qualitative research
Qualitative research conducted by 2CV, with 11 to 17 year olds, to build on and contextualise the findings from the annual Young People and Gambling survey.
Contents
- About the research
- Summary of findings
- Research approach
- Methodology
- Qualitative research sample
- Strengths and limitations of the research
- Defining gambling through the eyes of young people
- Findings
- Expanding sphere of influence
- Impact of personal technology and social media
- How the changing spaces of gambling reduces supervision
- Heightened risks of exposure and potential harm for teenage boys
- Misunderstanding of gambling and associated risks
- What new learning has this research brought to the Gambling Commission
- Appendix
Strengths and limitations of the research
Strengths
The qualitative methodology for this research provided a rich, varied, and authentic insight into young peoples’ worlds and their day-to-day exposure to gambling. The research helped to uncover the ‘why’ behind the behaviours and attitudes of the young people who took part. Young people not only reported their attitudes, perceptions and experiences, but also provided visual evidence that could be explored through subsequent contact with 2CV researchers.
Through a mixed methodology of in-home friendship group sessions, individual online journals and one-to-one depth interviews, the research provided a deeper understanding of how gambling (legal and illegal) plays out in the lives of young people aged 11 to 17 years old and was a safe space for young people to share their opinions and tell their stories. The stories of young people were told through a mix of photos, voice notes and written verbatims.
Young people were asked to give a significant contribution of their time for the research. 2CV ensured that each young person and parent or guardian had the information they needed in the format of a visually engaging information pack - helping them to make an informed decision about whether they wanted to take part or not.
Building on 2CV’s experience working on projects relating to youth culture and gaming, the in-home gaming immersion sessions (in friendship groups) provided the ideal icebreaker into open and honest conversations about gambling activities (legal and illegal). The sessions provided a unique window into gaming behaviours in action and were the ideal gateway to explore peer relationships and exposure to gambling activities in a safe setting.
The online journals were a safe space for young people to share more reflective individual thoughts about gambling exposure and gambling experiences in their daily lives. All tasks were completed in private and could be completed at a time that suited the young person.
Finally, the spotlight one-to-one depth interviews were an opportunity for individual stories to be shared privately and honestly. The 2CV moderators were known and familiar to participants; they were matched from the in-home immersion sessions and the moderation of the online journals, so the same moderator (2CV researcher) led the spotlight interview with the young person they had previously met in person.
Limitations
With a small qualitative sample of 30 participants, it was possible to gain a picture of how young people feel about, describe and experience gambling and gambling-like activities. However, the findings are, of course, not representative of the attitudes and experiences of all young people aged 11 to 17 years old across England, Scotland and Wales.
The friendship group approach to recruitment made the initial contact and peer recruitment less direct as the lead participant was responsible for choosing the friends to bring along to the in-home gaming immersion. However, 2CV provided the lead participant in the friendship group with a clear information sheet and criteria for who they should ideally bring along to the group session. While we acknowledge the selection bias inherent in peer recruitment, the aims of the research were to foster openness and trust in discussing the issues of gambling exposure. As the research explored the interpersonal dynamics within friendship groups through gaming immersions, pre-existing relationships between young people were necessary to achieve this.
As a qualitative piece of research, the findings in this report are indicative of the attitudes and behaviours of young people aged 11 to 17 years old across England, Scotland and Wales. A quantitative study would provide a more robust read of the same attitudes and behaviours through a larger sample size and a breakdown of key statistics such as measuring the strength of the qualitative insights against robust statistics.
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Defining gambling through the eyes of young people
Last updated: 25 February 2025
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