Statistics and research release
Statistics on gambling participation – Wave 3 July to October, 2025: Official statistics
Findings from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Statistics on gambling participation
Summary
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The data being released today is the latest edition of the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) conducted by the National Centre for Social Research. A nationally representative sample of 5,883 adults aged 18 and over were surveyed during the period 30 June 2025 to 31 October 2025.
Further details on the GSGB methodology can be found in the GSGB Wave 3, July to October 2025 report and the GSGB technical report.
The GSGB, like most other surveys, collects information from a sample of the population. Statistics based on surveys are estimates, rather than precise figures, and are subject to a margin of error (a 95 percent confidence interval). All surveys have strengths and limitations and we have outlined the strengths and limitations of our approach in the data analysis and reporting section of the technical report .
We have also guidance available on how to use the statistics from the GSGB.
Key facts
Overall participation in any gambling activity (in the past 4 weeks) was 48 percent. This figure is consistent with participation levels we saw in the previous wave covering April to July 2025.
When we exclude those who only took part in a lottery draw in the past 4 weeks from the overall gambling participation rate, gambling participation falls to 27 percent. This means approximately one fifth of adults in Great Britain (21 percent) only took part in lottery draws (either National Lottery or other charity lottery draws) in the past 4 weeks.
Overall participation varies by sex, where a higher proportion of males report gambling in the past 4 weeks than females (52 percent and 45 percent respectively). Overall gambling participation is highest among those aged 45 to 64 (55 to 56 percent).
However, when those who only participated on a lottery draw are excluded, the age profile shifts downward, showing that those aged 25 to 34 have the highest gambling participation rates in the past 4 weeks (35 percent). This pattern is consistent amongst males and females.
Overall, the most popular gambling activities after lottery draws are scratchcards (12 percent), betting (10 percent), and online instant win games (7 percent). When looking at participation in the most popular activities by sex, there is little variation between male and female participation in scratchcards and online instant win games. However, a significantly higher proportion of males report betting in the past 4 weeks than females (16 percent and 4 percent respectively).
Participation in horse race betting in the past 4 weeks was 4 percent, a significant decrease from 7 percent in Wave 2, April to July 2025. This decrease in Wave 3 was expected as it follows a period with significant horse racing events, participation returns to similar levels as those reported in Wave 1, January to April 2025.
The online gambling participation rate (in the past 4 weeks) was 39 percent, which falls to 16 percent when lottery draw only players are removed. This is consistent with figures we saw for the same time last year.
The most popular online gambling activities in the past 4 weeks were buying tickets for a National Lottery draw online (26 percent), buying tickets for other charity lottery draws online (15 percent) and betting on sports and racing online or via an app (8 percent). Participation in these online activities remained stable compared to the same period in 2024.
The in person gambling participation rate (in the past 4 weeks) was 28 percent, which falls to 17 percent when lottery draw only players are removed.
The most popular in person gambling activities in the past 4 weeks were buying tickets for a National Lottery draw (16 percent), buying a scratchcard (12 percent) and buying tickets for another charity lottery draw in-person (5 percent). Following lottery draws and scratchcards, the next most popular in person activity in the past 4 weeks was playing bingo at a venue and betting on sports and racing in person (both 3 percent).
Gambling ‘for the chance to win big money and ‘because it’s fun’ remain the most popular reasons people gave for gambling in the past 12 months. Adults aged 18 to 24 were the only age group where ‘because it’s fun’ was the most common reason, rather than monetary motives.
Overall, 42 percent of people who reported gambling in the last 12 months felt positive about the last time they spent money gambling, followed by an additional 35 percent who felt neutral towards their last gambling experience.
Details
The statistics presented in this report comprise our official statistics on gambling participation. The data presented from the GSGB is not directly comparable to previous gambling survey publications due to changes in the methodology.
The next quarterly publication in this series, Wave 4, October 2025 to January 2026, will be released on 4 June 2026.
Notes
This publication is primarily for anyone who has an involvement or interest in the gambling industry including government, licensed operators, trade bodies, international regulators, journalists, academic researchers, financial institutions, statisticians, consumers and local authorities.
For guidance on how to correctly report and or use the data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), see the guidance page.
About the status of official statistics.
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