Youth gambling falls in Great Britain as 5% report age-restricted play

More than a quarter of 11- to 17-year-olds in Great Britain said they had spent their own money on gambling in the past year. This is down from just under a third in 2022. The Gambling Commission’s latest annual survey found that most of this activity was legal for the age group or involved products without age restrictions.

The survey was published on 12 November. It found that 74% of respondents said they had never gambled, up from 69.6% in 2025. The Commission described that year-on-year increase as statistically significant. Over the longer term, the share who reported any gambling experience in the previous 12 months fell from 50% in 2022 to 45% in 2026, with some fluctuation between survey years.

Arcade machines remain the most common activity

Arcade gaming machines such as penny pushers and claw grabbers were the most common way respondents spent their own money on gambling. Some 19% reported doing so in the past year. This is compared with 11% who placed a bet for money with friends or family and 5% who played cards for money with friends or family.

Across the full sample, 5% said they had spent their own money on age-restricted gambling products. The Commission requires licensed operators to have safeguards to prevent underage access to products like online casino games and betting in bookmakers.

“The Commission’s focus is on ensuring that children and young people are not able to spend money on age-restricted gambling products, with an appreciation of the wider context. This is an important survey that provides one perspective on that question as we seek to protect children and vulnerable young people.” – Ben Haden, Director of Research and Statistics at the Gambling Commission.

Gambling harm measure shows no significant change

The proportion of young people whose answers met the survey’s threshold for problem gambling was 0.9%, compared with 1.2% in 2025. The difference was not statistically significant. The youth screening tool asks about behaviours such as spending more than planned, taking dinner or fare money to gamble, or needing to stake more money to get the same excitement. The Commission said the results should not be used to estimate addiction rates.

The research drew on responses from 3,867 pupils aged 11 to 17 at academies, maintained schools and independent schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Pupils completed the online questionnaire during class time. The figures reflect what respondents reported about their own experiences. There were no independent verifications of their answers.

The annual report also looks at young people’s exposure to gambling advertising, including on social media, and the relationship between gambling and gaming. The Commission uses the findings to inform regulatory action where appropriate and wider work to protect children and vulnerable young people from gambling harm.