Statistics and research release
Adverse consequences from gambling: Further insights from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain 2025
This release presents 2 topic reports based on secondary analysis of 2025 GSGB data. The reports contribute to Theme 3 of our evidence priority roadmaps, which focuses on understanding gambling-related harms and who is most vulnerable to experiencing them.
Summary
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This release presents 2 topic reports based on secondary analysis of the 2025 Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) data. Both reports contribute to Theme 3 of our evidence priority roadmaps, which focuses on understanding gambling-related harms and who is most vulnerable to experiencing them.
The first report, Measuring gambling-related harm: Validating a summary metric of potential adverse consequences, examines whether reporting one or more potential adverse consequences from gambling provides a valid population-level indicator of gambling-related harm. It compares people who report one or more potential adverse consequences with those who did not report adverse consequences, across measures of health and wellbeing, demographic characteristics, and gambling behaviours.
The second report, Exploring demographic differences in adverse consequences from gambling, examines whether associations between 'at-risk' gambling behaviour (measured using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)) and adverse consequences vary across demographic groups. In particular, it explores whether some groups report potential and severe adverse consequences at lower levels of gambling risk.
Key facts
Measuring gambling-related harm: Validating a summary metric of potential adverse consequences
People who reported one or more potential adverse consequences from gambling had poorer mental wellbeing and poorer self-rated health, and were nearly twice as likely to report suicidal ideation or attempts, compared with those who reported no adverse consequences. These associations remained significant after controlling for demographic characteristics.
People reporting one or more potential adverse consequences were more likely to be younger, male, from ethnic minority backgrounds, living in lower-income households, and without an educational qualification. They also scored higher on the PGSI and played a wider range of gambling activities.
These findings support the use of 'one or more' potential adverse consequences as a valid population-level indicator of gambling-related harm, which we plan to report in future GSGB publications to monitor trends over time.
Exploring demographic differences in adverse consequences from gambling
After controlling for other demographic characteristics and PGSI scores, participants from ethnic minority backgrounds, those living in lower-income households, and younger participants were more likely to report both potential and severe adverse consequences.
For potential adverse consequences, differences by ethnicity and age were most pronounced at lower PGSI scores. For severe consequences, between-group differences were broadly similar across the PGSI scale.
These findings highlight the importance of monitoring adverse consequences alongside behavioural risk indicators, such as the PGSI, to ensure a complete understanding of gambling-related harm.
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Publication produced by: Gambling Commission
Publication author: Ruddock, H.
View the Exploring demographic differences in adverse consequences from gambling report.
Publication produced by: Gambling Commission
Publication author: Ruddock, H.
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