UKGC: Family exposure has biggest impact on young peoples’ gambling 

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published its official statistics for “Young People and Gambling 2024.”

This release marks the fourth dataset providing insights into “young people’s exposure to and involvement in gambling”, as well as the “impact gambling can have on them”. The latest datasets follow statistics for 2023, 2022, and 2020 (2021 was voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

For 2024, research was conducted by the “Young People and Gambling Survey,” carried out by Ipsos on behalf of the UKGC.

As cited: “The study collected data from 3,869 pupils aged 11 to 17 years old across curriculum years 7 to 12 (S1 to S6 in Scotland), attending academies, maintained and independent schools in England, Scotland, and Wales using the Ipsos Young People Omnibus. Pupils completed an online self-report survey in class; fieldwork took place between February and June 2024.”

Understanding Definitions

Audiences are made aware of the research definitions, which determine “active involvement in gambling” as “young people who spent their own money on gambling,” defined as any pocket money, birthday money, or money they earned themselves.

The “experience of gambling” is defined as “young people who have gambled, but not necessarily spending their own money on doing so.”

The “experience of problem gambling” is evaluated by the survey using the DSM-IV-MR-J screen, with “problem gambling” identified by confirming four or more behaviours in the past year, “at-risk gambling” by scoring 2–3 behaviours, and “no problems” by scoring 0–1 behaviours.

Active Statistics

On active involvement in gambling, findings indicate that 27% of respondents spent their own money on gambling in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Data shows a slight increase from 26% in 2023, though lower than the 31% observed in 2022. The drop from 2022 to 2023 may partly “reflect sample differences”.

Among active respondents, arcade gaming machines were the most popular activity, with 20% of young people participating in 2024. Other common forms of gambling included placing bets with friends or family (11%) and playing cards for money (5%).

Engagements with adult gambling activities saw 2% of respondents report betting on websites/apps and 1% visiting betting shops.

Participation in the National Lottery draws and scratch cards remains at 1% of active respondents, showing no statistical difference from 2022 and 2023 data.

Social trends reveal a decline in betting with friends/family, from 15% in 2022 to 11% in both 2023 and 2024, indicating a trend toward reduced social gambling amongst young people.

The survey found mixed influences: active gambling among male respondents rose from 4% in 2023 to 6% in 2024, while older respondents aged 14–17 also showed an increase in active engagement, from 4% in 2023 to 6% in 2024.

Family exposure was highlighted, as young people who observed family members gambling were more likely to engage themselves, with engagement rising from 8% in 2023 to 13% in 2024.

Overall, 73% of survey respondents did not engage in any gambling activities, indicating that gambling remains relatively niche among youth.

Youth Problem Gambling Screen

The DSM-IV-MR-J screen is used as a “youth-adapted gambling index” that considers nine items to assess whether respondents who gamble experience problems related to gambling.

The screen covers children’s thoughts, behaviours, and the consequences of gambling to capture adolescent-specific responses, distinct from the adult PGSI index.

Trends are compared across 2022 to 2024, noting that comparisons with 2022 are indicative due to sample differences.

In 2024, 23.2% of respondents scored 0 or 1 (no problems), 1.9% scored 2 or 3 (at-risk), and 1.5% scored 4 or more (problem gambling).

A demographic breakdown showed that 14–17-year-olds and boys were more likely to score 4 or more than younger teens or girls, while youth in Scotland and those with family exposure to gambling also scored higher (4 or more) than other groups.

Comparing previous datasets, the survey showed an increase in respondents scoring 4 or more: from 0.7% in 2023 to 1.5% in 2024.

Responses in 2024 showed significant rises in gambling-related behaviours, including thinking about or planning to gamble (3% to 7%), needing more money to feel excitement (2% to 4%), taking money without permission for gambling (6% to 11%), lying about gambling (1% to 3%), and attempting to win back lost money (2% to 4%).

Impacts of Youth Gambling

The study concludes by examining the effects of personal and family-related gambling on young people’s relationships, emotions, school engagement, and health. Responses are compared across 2022 to 2024, with comparisons to 2022 being once more indicative due to sample differences.

9% of young people who gambled reported lying to family or friends, and 8% experienced arguments with them due to gambling.

Emotional impacts included 6% reporting that gambling interfered with their schoolwork or personal study, while 5% missed school because of gambling.

Health concerns showed that 2% lost sleep from worrying about gambling, and 5% stayed up late due to gambling activities.

Family anxieties included 8% experiencing arguments with family or friends as a result of gambling, and 1% spoke to their parents about their feelings because of gambling activities.

Regarding family members’ influence, 7% felt worried, 5% felt sad, and 9% reported more arguments or tension at home due to gambling.