UKGC Report: 49% of 11–17-Year-Olds Encountered Gambling in Past Year
Nearly half of UK children aged 11–17 reported encountering gambling in the previous 12 months, the UK Gambling Commission’s annual study shows.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The 2025 edition of the Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling report, based on responses from 3,666 pupils in England, Scotland and Wales, found that 49% of 11-17-year-olds had experienced gambling during the past year. Almost a third (30%) said they had spent their own money on gambling in that period.
While headline figures show an increase in overall exposure compared with the previous year, the commission emphasised that much of the rise is concentrated in non-regulated formats. The most commonly reported activities were penny-pusher or claw-grab arcade machines (21%), informal bets with friends or family (14%), and card games played for money at social gatherings (5%). The report recorded 1.2% of respondents as scoring above the threshold on the youth-adapted problem gambling screen – broadly consistent with last year’s 1.5% and described by the regulator as statistically stable.
Tim Miller, the UK Gambling Commission’s executive director of research and policy, said the data help clarify the shape of young people’s exposure.
This report continues to refine our understanding of how young people encounter gambling. What we are seeing is a modest uptick in participation compared with 2024, but the increase is concentrated in unrestricted and social forms of betting rather than regulated operator activity. That distinction matters for how we target prevention and enforcement.
The study was carried out in schools and academies across the three nations to capture a representative picture of youth experience. The commission noted that licensed operators in Britain remain subject to strict age-verification duties and must undertake robust checks, including verifying any customer who appears under 25. Those safeguards, the regulator said, are designed to prevent underage access to regulated gambling products such as online sportsbooks, casinos and lotteries.
Related: GambleAware Urges Stronger Online Gambling Rules to Protect ChildrenMore Regulation News
Regulation
Nevada Rejects FanDuel and DraftKings Licensing amid Prediction-Market Dispute
Nov 14, 2025
Regulatory Focus and Ongoing Research
Alongside its headline findings, the Gambling Commission reiterated its intention to deepen work on so-called gateway products – items and services that may expose younger people to gambling mechanics. The regulator singled out video game loot boxes, social gaming, prize draws and similar products for continued analysis to understand whether early exposure increases later risk of gambling harm.
"We will continue to review protections around regulated gambling and to examine the role that emerging products play in early exposure", Miller added. "Policymakers and operators need clear evidence to inform proportionate steps that reduce harm while respecting legitimate leisure activities for adults."
An independent child-safety researcher welcomed the commission’s focus but urged a broader approach to prevention. "The data underline that much of young people’s gambling occurs in everyday settings: arcades, peer betting and family games. Effective prevention must therefore combine strong enforcement against illegal access, age-appropriate education in schools, and clearer guidance for parents and leisure venues", the researcher said.
The full Young People and Gambling 2025 report, released by the UK Gambling Commission, includes detailed breakdowns by age, gender and product type and outlines the regulator’s planned next steps. The commission has said it will use the findings to inform targeted interventions and future research programmes aimed at reducing childhood exposure and limiting the transition from informal gambling to regulated markets.
RELATED TOPICS: Regulation
Latest News
Regulation
Nevada Rejects FanDuel and DraftKings Licensing amid Prediction-Market Dispute
Nov 14, 2025Most Read
$3.85M Table-Game Jackpot Hits the Venetian – Millionaire Progressive Pays $3,845,727
Nov 07, 2025Must Read
Interviews
Review this New Post
Leave a Comment
User Comments
Comments for UKGC Report: 49% of 11–17-Year-Olds Encountered Gambling in Past Year