The latest study published by GamStop on March 3rd has revealed that 10% of male university students in the UK are spending more on gambling each week than on groceries.
The GamStop survey found that one in ten students gambles between £51 and £100 per week, with just as many admitting they have struggled to afford food due to gambling-related expenditures.
On average, male students spend £33.54 on gambling every week, while the National Student Money Survey 2024 reports that the average student’s grocery budget is slightly over £36 per week.
The Annual Student Gambling Survey, conducted by market research firm Censuswide, gathered responses from 2,000 university students across 17 UK cities.
Moreover, the study was commissioned by GamStop, the national self-exclusion service, in collaboration with the charity Young Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM).
This marks the fourth edition of the annual report, with last year’s findings highlighting that nearly half of student gamblers were exceeding their financial limits.
The 2023 study also classified 17% of respondents as being at “high risk” of gambling harm, while 49% reported gambling at least once in the past year.
Among different gambling activities, online sports betting was the most popular, with 25% of male students participating and placing bets on an average of 91 days per year.
Financial motivation was a key driver, with the study reporting that 45% of students stated they gambled in hopes of making money.
However, the study also uncovered concerning trends, with 40% of respondents reporting that gambling had negatively impacted their university experience and 10% struggling to afford basic necessities as a result.
The only positive trend from the study, if we may call it that, is that 53% of students said they were aware of the gambling support systems available at their universities.
