The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) recently released its 2024 statistics on “Young People and Gambling.”
The report is the fourth set of data providing insights into young people’s exposure to gambling, their level of involvement, and the impact it has on them. The 2024 findings build on statistics gathered in 2023, 2022, and 2020, with 2021 data unavailable due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ipsos conducted the 2024 research for the UKGC through the “Young People and Gambling Survey.” This survey included 3,869 pupils aged 11 to 17, attending schools across England, Scotland, and Wales. Using the Ipsos Young People Omnibus, pupils completed an online self-report survey between February and June 2024.
To clarify definitions, the research differentiates between “active involvement in gambling” and “experience of gambling.” Active involvement is defined as young people spending their own money, including pocket money, birthday money, or money they’ve earned themselves. The broader “experience of gambling” includes young people who have gambled, even if they didn’t spend their own money.
The survey also used the DSM-IV-MR-J screen to evaluate problem gambling among young people. It identified “problem gambling” in those exhibiting four or more gambling-related behaviours in the past year, while those showing 2–3 behaviours were classified as “at-risk.” Participants scoring 0–1 behaviours were categorised as having “no problems.”
Looking at active gambling statistics, 27% of respondents reported spending their own money on gambling in the previous 12 months. This marks a slight increase from 26% in 2023, though it remains lower than the 31% recorded in 2022. Differences in sample groups likely contributed to the decline between 2022 and 2023.
Among those actively involved in gambling, arcade gaming machines proved most popular, with 20% of young people participating. Other forms of gambling included betting with friends or family (11%) and playing cards for money (5%).
Some respondents engaged with adult gambling activities, with 2% betting on websites or apps and 1% visiting betting shops. Participation in National Lottery draws and scratch cards remained steady at 1%, showing little change from 2022 and 2023.
Social trends reveal a decline in betting with friends or family, dropping from 15% in 2022 to 11% in both 2023 and 2024. This suggests a trend towards reduced social gambling among young people.
Family influence plays a significant role in young people’s gambling. Those who observed family members gambling were more likely to gamble themselves, with this group’s involvement rising from 8% in 2023 to 13% in 2024. However, 73% of survey respondents reported no engagement in gambling, indicating that it remains a relatively niche activity among young people.
To assess problem gambling, the DSM-IV-MR-J screen used nine indicators tailored to youth. It examined children’s thoughts, behaviours, and the consequences of gambling to capture responses specific to adolescents. Trends from 2022 to 2024 show that while gambling-related issues are generally low, there are some areas of concern. In 2024, 23.2% of respondents scored 0 or 1 (no problems), 1.9% scored 2 or 3 (at-risk), and 1.5% scored 4 or more (problem gambling).
Among respondents, boys and those aged 14–17 were more likely to show signs of problem gambling than younger teens or girls. Youth in Scotland and those exposed to family gambling were also more likely to score in the problem range. The number of young people scoring 4 or more on the problem scale increased from 0.7% in 2023 to 1.5% in 2024.
The survey also highlighted various behaviours linked to gambling. Increases were noted in behaviours such as planning or thinking about gambling (up from 3% to 7%), needing more money for excitement (from 2% to 4%), taking money without permission (6% to 11%), lying about gambling (1% to 3%), and trying to win back lost money (2% to 4%).
The study concluded by assessing how gambling affects young people’s relationships, emotions, school engagement, and health. Comparisons from 2022 to 2024 show that gambling impacts areas such as family relationships, school performance, and emotional well-being, with 9% of young people reporting they lied to family or friends, and 8% experiencing family conflicts due to gambling.