The Gambling Commission has published its annual Young People and Gambling Report 2025, providing updated information on how children and teenagers engage with gambling.
The study was conducted in schools across England, Scotland and Wales, with 3,666 pupils aged 11 to 17 completing confidential online surveys in class
The findings indicate that 49% of young people reported gambling in the past 12 months while 30% had spent their own money on gambling.
The proportion experiencing gambling-related problems remained low at 1.2%, consistent with 1.5% in 2024.
Legal or unregulated gambling activities were the most common for those spending their own money. These included arcade machines such as penny pushers or claw grab machines at 21%, small bets among friends or family at 14% and card games for money at 5%.
The Commission requires gambling operators to have protections in place to prevent children from accessing age-restricted products. Measures include age verification for all land-based licensees and staff checking the age of any customer who appears under 25.
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