UKGC: Youth gambling participation is falling
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission has reported a decline in gambling participation among young people, although five per cent of those surveyed admitted spending money on age-restricted gambling products during the past year.
UK Gambling Commission Director of Research and Statistics Ben Haden said protecting children from age-restricted gambling remained a priority for the regulator.
“The Commission’s focus is on ensuring that children and young people are not able to spend money on age-restricted gambling products, with an appreciation of the wider context,” he said.
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“This is an important survey that provides one perspective on that question as we seek to protect children and vulnerable young people.”
The regulator’s Young People and Gambling Report 2026, published on November 12, surveyed 3,867 children aged 11 to 17 attending schools across England, Scotland and Wales.
It found that 26% had spent their own money on gambling during the previous year, down from 30% in 2025.
The proportion reporting any gambling participation during the past year also fell, from 49% to 45%.
Most gambling activity involved products legally accessible to young people or activities outside age-restricted gambling, including arcade machines, private bets and card games.
Arcade machines such as penny pushers and claw grab machines accounted for 19% of participation involving young people’s own money, followed by private bets with friends or family at 11%.
The proportion reporting negative consequences associated with gambling was 0.9%, compared with 1.2% in 2025, a difference the regulator said was not statistically significant.
The report also found that 74% of respondents had never gambled, a statistically significant increase from 69.6% last year.
The Commission cautioned that the figures were based on self-reported survey responses rather than independently verified gambling activity.
