UKGC study finds 13% believe peers use VPNs to access gambling

The UK Gambling Commission has published research examining whether young people may use virtual private networks to reach restricted gambling content.

Yonder surveyed 1,020 people aged between 11 and 17. It found that 76% had heard of VPNs. Only 36% believed they understood how the technology worked, though.

An indirect survey experiment also estimated that around 13% thought friends or other people their age had recently used a VPN to access an online gambling platform. However, this figure just measures perceptions of peer behaviour and the researchitself doesn’t show this to be true.

VPN awareness rises with age

Awareness increased considerably among older respondents. 61% of 11- and 12-year-olds knew about VPNs. The proportion reached 89% among those aged 16 and 17.

Boys were more likely to report awareness than girls, at 81% compared with 70%. Understanding followed a similar pattern, rising from 21% among 11- and 12-year-olds to 50% among the oldest group.

Those who said they understood VPNs generally recognised that they could disguise a user’s location, improve privacy and provide access to blocked content.

Friends were the most common source of information. This was cited by 42% of respondents who knew about VPNs. Family members followed at 37%. YouTube or TikTok was responsible for 36%.

“The gap between awareness and understanding is therefore not just an educational issue.” — Gambling Commission

What the 13% figure means

Researchers did not directly ask participants whether they had used a VPN to gamble. The Commission said this could encourage socially desirable answers or introduce younger respondents to a potentially harmful activity.

Instead, respondents were divided into two groups and asked how many activities they believed people their age had recently completed. Both groups saw statements covering common online behaviours. One received an additional statement about using a VPN to access gambling websites or apps.

The difference between the two groups produced the estimated figure of 13%.

Perceived use rose to 19% among 16- and 17-year-olds. This is compared with 2% among those aged 11 and 12. It reached 20% among respondents who were already aware of VPNs.

These results do not establish that the respondents had personally used a VPN, opened a gambling account or placed a bet.

Licensed sites must still verify age

A VPN can disguise a user’s apparent location. However, it does not remove the age and identity requirements applying to licensed British gambling operators.

Under UKGC social responsibility rules, remote betting, casino and bingo operators must verify a customer’s age before allowing them to deposit, gamble or access free-to-play games.

The study therefore provides no evidence that UK-licensed operators are allowing children to gamble through VPNs. The wider concern is that the technology could provide access to illegal gambling sites that do not offer the same checks and consumer protections.

The research was commissioned as new age-assurance measures took effect under the Online Safety Act. Although gambling is not a designated priority area under the legislation, the Commission wanted to understand whether young people viewed VPNs as a way to bypass online safeguards.

Research does not establish personal use

The Commission acknowledged that the findings may not represent every young person in Great Britain. Participants came from an existing online panel. Awareness and understanding were also self-reported.

Most importantly, the survey measured perceptions rather than personal behaviour. It did not identify which gambling sites young people may have accessed or whether they successfully gambled.

The findings should therefore be treated as an early indication of the perceived behaviour rather than proof of widespread underage gambling through VPNs.