The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released the second annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), the world’s largest study of gambling participation and its impacts. Conducted by NatCen and the University of Glasgow, the survey was independently reviewed and involved 19,714 respondents.
Key findings:
-
48% of adults gambled in the past four weeks (28% excluding lottery tickets).
-
42% of gamblers rated their most recent experience positively, while 21% rated it negatively.
-
The main reasons for gambling were the chance to win big (85%) and fun (72%).
-
2.7% of adults scored 8+ on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), unchanged from 2023.
Two supplementary reports explored risk profiles of weekly gamblers and the negative consequences of gambling, showing impacts across health and relationships, with risks varying by product type.
The GSGB complements other UKGC research, including quarterly participation data and University of Glasgow studies on gambling motivations and PGSI links.
Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes said the findings are vital for shaping policy and industry practices, urging operators to use the evidence to identify risks. He highlighted recent regulatory steps such as:
-
financial vulnerability checks for spenders over £150/month,
-
bans on autoplay and slowed online game speed,
-
stricter age verification,
-
curbs on harmful marketing offers,
-
mandatory prompts for players to set deposit limits (from 31 October).
The Commission is also testing enhanced financial risk checks for high spenders and considering time and spend limits for land-based gambling.
