The UK Gambling Commission has published its second annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain 2025 (GSGB), providing a comprehensive overview of gambling behaviors, trends, and harm in 2024.
The extensive report, which surveyed nearly 20,000 participants, reveals that 48% of adults had gambled in the preceding four weeks, a figure that drops to 28% when excluding National Lottery draws.
One of the key findings of the report is the strong correlation between gambling frequency and socioeconomic deprivation.
The data shows that individuals living in the most deprived areas are significantly more likely to gamble at least weekly (27%) compared to those in the least deprived areas (14%).
Weekly gamblers were also more likely to have fewer qualifications and live in housing association accommodation. This led the report to conclude that those who gamble weekly have a profile consistent with being more socially and economically disadvantaged.
In terms of gambling-related harm, the survey found that 2.7% of participants had a Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score of eight or more, indicating potential harm.
This figure is consistent with the previous year’s survey, suggesting the commission’s new methodology is providing stable year-on-year data. Activities associated with higher PGSI scores included betting on non-sports events online, scratch cards, and in-person slots.
The Gambling Survey for Great Britain 2025 also sheds light on player motivations and experiences. The primary reason for gambling, cited by 85% of participants, was the chance to win big money, followed by fun and entertainment (72%).
While 42% of gamblers rated their experience as positive, 21% reported negative experiences.
The Gambling Commission noted that these findings will continue to inform its regulatory approach, which has already seen the introduction of financial vulnerability checks and stricter controls on game design and marketing.
Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission CEO:
“We have already introduced light-touch financial vulnerability checks on those spending £150 a month, reduced the intensity of all online games by banning autoplay and slowing game speed, and tightened age verification in premises. We’ve also banned potentially harmful marketing offers involving consumers having to carry out two or more types of gambling, such as betting and playing slots, and limited the number of times bonus funds must be re-staked before a consumer can withdraw winnings. From the end of this month [31 October] our new rules will give consumer controls over deposit limits and all gambling businesses must prompt their customers to set a financial limit before they make their first deposit.”
