UK Problem Gambling Rate Fell to 2.4% in 2025, GSGB Reports

The UK problem gambling rate fell to 2.4% of adults in 2025, down from 2.7% in 2024, according to the latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) published by the Gambling Commission on July 16, 2026. The figure is the share of adults scoring 8 or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). While the headline number dropped, the release reignited a long-running dispute over whether the GSGB overstates gambling harm, with critics arguing the survey design inflates the rate.

The result matters because the GSGB is the official measure the Commission and the government now lean on to justify policy, from stake limits to the levy on operators. A rate of 2.4% is far higher than the sub-1% figures produced by earlier UK surveys, which is exactly why the methodology is under fire.

What did the 2025 GSGB actually find?

The 2025 GSGB found that 2.4% of adults scored in the problem gambling band on the PGSI, down from 2.7% the previous year. Alongside that headline, the survey recorded a rise in moderate-risk gambling and a fall in low-risk gambling, a mixed picture that both sides of the debate can read differently. Overall gambling participation edged down as well.

Key facts from the 2025 Gambling Survey for Great Britain

• Problem gambling (PGSI 8 or more): 2.4% in 2025, down from 2.7% in 2024.
• Moderate-risk gambling: up to 3.5% from 3.1%.
• Low-risk gambling: down to 7.8% from 8.8%.
• Overall participation: 59% in 2025, down from 60% in 2024.
• Publisher: the Gambling Commission, released July 16, 2026.

What is the GSGB and why did the Commission create it?

The GSGB is the Gambling Commission's official annual survey of gambling behaviour in Great Britain, built to become the single authoritative measure of participation and harm. The Commission developed it to replace a patchwork of older sources, running a large push-to-web survey that invites randomly selected addresses to respond online or on paper. It was designed to give policymakers a consistent, repeatable read as the 2005 Gambling Act reforms roll out.

Why is the 2.4% figure so controversial?

The figure is controversial because it is several times higher than the rates produced by the surveys the GSGB replaced. Earlier gold-standard sources such as the Health Survey for England and the British Gambling Prevalence Survey put problem gambling well below 1% of adults. A jump to roughly 2.4% to 2.7% implies either a real surge in harm or a survey that captures more of it, or overstates it, and which of those is true has become one of the most contested questions in UK gambling policy.

What do critics say is wrong with the survey?

Critics argue the GSGB's design systematically over-samples gamblers and inflates the harm rate. Dan Waugh, a partner at consultancy Regulus Partners and one of the survey's most persistent critics, has been blunt about it.

The Gambling Commission, he argued, published results "in the knowledge that the results are inaccurate," warning the findings could be used to justify "tighter controls on consumers and higher taxation for licensees." Dan Waugh, Partner, Regulus Partners.

The technical objections centre on two points. First, topic salience: because the questionnaire is presented as a gambling survey, people who gamble are more likely to respond, skewing the sample toward gamblers. Second, mode effects: online and self-completion methods can produce higher reported gambling and harm than in-person interviews used by the older surveys. Together, critics say, these push the measured rate above the true level.

How does the Gambling Commission defend the GSGB?

The Commission has consistently cautioned against comparing GSGB numbers directly with the older surveys, precisely because the methods differ. Its position is that the GSGB is a new baseline built to modern standards, that no single survey is perfect, and that year-on-year GSGB comparisons, like the drop from 2.7% to 2.4%, are more meaningful than cross-survey ones. The Commission has published extensive methodology notes and experimental statistics to be transparent about the survey's limitations.

How does 2.4% compare across years and surveys?

Measure	2024	2025
Problem gambling (PGSI 8+)	2.7%	2.4%
Moderate-risk gambling	3.1%	3.5%
Low-risk gambling	8.8%	7.8%
Overall participation	60%	59%

For context, the surveys the GSGB replaced typically reported problem gambling below 1% of adults, which is why the debate is about the level of the number, not just its direction of travel.

Why does the number carry so much policy weight?

The number carries weight because it feeds directly into how hard the UK regulates and taxes gambling. A higher measured harm rate strengthens the case for the affordability and stake-limit measures introduced under the Gambling Act review, for the statutory levy on operators to fund research, prevention and treatment, and for calls to treat gambling harm as a public health issue. Operators and their advisers worry that an inflated figure justifies rules and taxes calibrated to a problem that is smaller than the survey suggests.

What does the mixed risk picture mean?

The mixed movement, problem gambling down but moderate-risk gambling up, means the data does not deliver a clean story for either camp. A fall in the most severe category can be read as harm easing, while a rise in the moderate-risk band can be read as more people drifting into risky play. Because the PGSI bands sit on a spectrum, small shifts between adjacent categories can reflect real behaviour, survey noise, or both, which is one more reason the headline rate is fought over.

What happens next for UK gambling policy?

Expect the GSGB to remain the reference point for the next phase of UK reform even as the methodology fight continues. The Commission is likely to keep refining the survey and defending it against the accusation of over-counting, while critics press for independent review and a return to interview-based benchmarking. With the statutory levy live and further consumer protections rolling out, every future GSGB release will be read as evidence for or against how far the reforms should go.

Frequently asked questions

What is the UK problem gambling rate for 2025?

The Gambling Commission's 2025 Gambling Survey for Great Britain put the problem gambling rate at 2.4% of adults, defined as scoring 8 or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index, down from 2.7% in 2024.

What does GSGB stand for?

GSGB stands for the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, the Gambling Commission's official annual survey of gambling behaviour and harm.

Why do critics say the GSGB is inaccurate?

Critics such as Regulus Partners argue the survey over-samples gamblers because it is presented as a gambling survey, and that its online and self-completion methods inflate reported harm compared with older interview-based surveys.

Why is 2.4% higher than older UK figures?

Earlier surveys such as the Health Survey for England and the British Gambling Prevalence Survey measured problem gambling below 1%. The GSGB uses different methods, so the Commission warns against comparing the two directly.

How is the problem gambling rate used in policy?

The figure informs UK decisions on stake limits, affordability checks, the statutory operator levy, and calls to treat gambling harm as a public health issue.

Updated July 2026. This is trade news for readers aged 18 and over. If gambling is causing you harm, support is available through GamCare and the National Gambling Helpline.

Sources: SBC News, Gambling Commission Gambling Survey for Great Britain 2025.