The Gambling Commission’s 2024 Young People and Gambling Report reveals steady rates of gambling among youths aged 11 to 17, but points to a rise in the number of minors showing signs of problem gambling. The report, based on survey data from 3,869 students collected by Ipsos in classrooms across Great Britain, emphasizes an increase in youth reporting harmful gambling behaviors, even as overall participation in gambling activities has remained consistent with the previous year.
According to the report, more than one-quarter (27%) of young people surveyed used their own money to gamble over the past year. Specifically, 21% reported spending on regulated gambling activities, such as arcade machines and betting. These figures align closely with last year’s data, which reported a 26% gambling rate among minors using their own funds.
Among popular forms of gambling, arcade gaming machines such as claw grabbers and coin pushers—classified as Category D machines with no age restrictions—topped the list, with 20% reporting playing such games.
The report highlights that, when excluding these unrestricted machines, around 6% of 11- to 17-year-olds engaged in regulated forms of gambling, an increase from 4% in 2023. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition – Multiple Response Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J), used to assess gambling problems in young people, identified 1.5% of participants as experiencing problem gambling, a significant rise from 0.8% the previous year.
Another 1.9% of respondents scored as “at-risk” for problem gambling, while 23% showed no signs of gambling-related issues.
There were marked increases in specific behaviors associated with gambling addiction, as young people reported a rise in thoughts or planning around gambling (from 3% to 7%), and in spending more than intended on gambling (from 2% to 4%). The proportion of minors who admitted to lying about their gambling activities rose from 1% to 3%, and those who took money without permission to fund gambling doubled from 6% to 11%.
A broader look at gambling engagement among youths shows that 52% have tried gambling in some form, including activities like lottery games, arcade machines, bingo, and casino play, though not always involving real money. Among those surveyed, 44% said they had gambled in the past year, with arcade machines proving most popular, followed by informal betting with friends and family.
The report also highlighted that gambling was the most common risk-related behavior among youth, surpassing alcohol consumption, vaping, smoking, and illegal drug use. In the past year, 44% of respondents reported gambling, while 37% reported drinking alcohol, 15% used e-cigarettes, 8% smoked, and 7% used illegal drugs.
Exposure to gambling advertising also saw an increase, with 62% of respondents recalling seeing ads online and 64% offline, up from last year. Television and mobile apps were common sources of exposure, with 54% and 52% of minors respectively encountering gambling content there.
Social media exposure also grew, with 46% of young people recalling gambling advertisements on these platforms, and 17% reporting that they follow gambling companies online.
The Commission’s Executive Director Tim Miller underscored the need for community involvement in preventing youth gambling. He noted recent regulatory changes, including an August rule mandating that gambling operators verify the ages of all patrons appearing younger than 25—a rise from the previous threshold of 21.
Miller stated, however, that gambling among youth often occurs outside regulated settings, such as casual bets with friends. “These forms of gambling can also lead to some experiencing harm. Our report points to the opportunities that parents, schools, and other groups have to also help reduce gambling harm among children and young people,” he said.