British Gambling Participation Holds Steady, Lottery Play Remains Dominant
Gambling participation in Great Britain remained largely unchanged in the latest Gambling Commission survey.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The Gambling Commission’s most recent Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), which collected responses from 4,750 adults, shows overall participation was stable but with a small shift away from lottery-only play. In Wave Two of the 2025 survey, carried out between April 1 and July 20, 47 per cent of respondents said they had gambled at least once in the previous four weeks – a one percentage-point decrease from 48 per cent recorded in Wave One (January 13 – April 27) and the same period in 2024.
Lotteries remain the single most popular form of gambling. Roughly one in five participants reported playing only National Lottery or charity lottery draws. When these lottery-only players are excluded, the overall participation rate rises to 28 per cent, up from 27 per cent in the comparable earlier waves.
After lotteries, sports betting and scratch cards were the next most commonly reported activities, each cited by 12 per cent of respondents. Online instant-win games accounted for 8 per cent. The Commission revised reporting categories in this wave to separate horse racing and dog racing: horse racing betting increased to 7 per cent from 4 per cent in the prior reporting period — a rise the regulator linked to major fixtures such as the Grand National taking place in the survey window.
Online engagement held steady at 38 per cent overall, matching the previous wave. Excluding lottery-only players, online participation was 17 per cent. Digital National Lottery ticket purchases were the most common online product, bought by 25 per cent of adults; other lottery draws were at 15 per cent, while online sports and racing bets registered at 10 per cent.
In-person gambling activity was reported by 28 per cent of adults, falling to 18 per cent when lottery-only play is removed. Among in-person formats, National Lottery tickets led (15 per cent), followed by scratchcards (12 per cent), charity lotteries (6 per cent), sports betting (4 per cent), and bingo (3 per cent).
Age patterns show differing profiles depending on whether lottery-only play is included. Adults aged 55–64 recorded the highest overall participation (54 per cent). However, excluding lottery-only participants, the 25-44 cohort becomes the most active group at 36 per cent – men accounted for 43 per cent of that subgroup. Young adults (18–24) were more likely to cite enjoyment as their main motive to gamble, while the prospect of a major win was the most frequently reported reason across the full sample.
Related: UKGC Report: 49% of 11–17-Year-Olds Encountered Gambling in Past Year
More Regulation News
Regulation
AGCO Moves to Revoke Southside Johnny’s Liquor Licence After Stolen Stock Probe
Dec 10, 2025Expert Reaction and Market Signals
A Gambling Commission spokesperson said: "The latest GSGB shows a broadly stable gambling landscape in Great Britain. Lotteries continue to underpin overall participation, but the small rise in non-lottery play is notable and will be monitored closely. We are particularly attentive to short-term spikes related to major sporting and racing events and to changes in online behaviour that could affect vulnerability and consumer protections. The Commission will continue to use the survey evidence to inform regulatory priorities and engagement with operators and treatment providers."
Professor Mark Griffiths, a long-standing gambling researcher, added: "These findings underline the dual character of gambling in Britain – a mass-market activity driven by lottery play and episodic spikes around big events. If tax or product changes shift consumer spend away from one product to another, we must watch for unintended harms. Operators, regulators and support organisations should prepare for changes in product mix, and ensure harm-minimisation measures, advertising standards and affordability checks keep pace with market shifts."
Industry stakeholders will be watching how policy developments affect behaviour. The Autumn Budget confirmed an increase in the tax applied to remote gaming, which the government has scheduled to take effect from April. Analysts and operators have said the measure could prompt product and pricing adjustments in online casino markets, potentially influencing participation in adjacent products such as digital lottery and sports betting.
Regulatory and Market Watch
Policymakers, public-health charities and operators will use the GSGB as a near-term barometer. The Gambling Commission has signalled it will combine survey evidence with compliance work and data from operators to assess harm trends. Campaign groups and treatment providers, including independent organisations working in prevention and recovery, are expected to scrutinise future waves for changes in high-risk play and demographic shifts. Next year’s GSGB editions will therefore be closely observed for early signs of the tax change feeding through to consumer behaviour and market structure.
RELATED TOPICS: Regulation
Latest News
Regulation
AGCO Moves to Revoke Southside Johnny’s Liquor Licence After Stolen Stock Probe
Dec 10, 2025
Most Read
UKGC Tightens Oversight of Adult Gaming Centres as Funding Boost Targets Illegal Gambling
Dec 04, 2025Bulgarian Parliament Rejects Proposal to Centralize Gambling Under State Control
Dec 04, 2025Phased Rise in Brazil’s Gaming Tax Set to Start in 2026 Under Senate Compromise
Dec 04, 2025Nevada Official: Steve Wynn Agreed to $10 Million Fine After Witness List Included Ex‑Wife
Dec 08, 2025Must Read
Interviews
Exclusive Interview: Levon Nikoghosyan Shares AffPapa Winning Formula for Successful iGaming Events
Dec 03, 2025
Interviews
Review this New Post
Leave a Comment
User Comments
Comments for British Gambling Participation Holds Steady, Lottery Play Remains Dominant