UK Youth Gambling Falls to 48% in 2026 GSGB Survey

Young adults in Great Britain are gambling less than the generations before them, according to the 2026 Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) published by the UK Gambling Commission on 16 July 2026. Participation among 18 to 24 year olds fell to 48 percent in 2025, down from 54 percent in 2023, even as headline gambling across the whole population held broadly steady at around 59 percent.

The finding cuts against a common assumption that a smartphone-first generation is being pulled deeper into betting. On the participation numbers, the opposite is happening at the youngest end of the legal market. Yet the same period has seen a sharp rise in the number of under 25s formally shutting themselves out of gambling through the self-exclusion scheme GamStop, a signal that the young people who do gamble may be doing so more intensely, and are more willing to ask for help.

What did the 2026 GSGB actually find about young people?

The GSGB found that gambling participation among 18 to 24 year olds dropped to 48 percent in 2025, from 52 percent in 2024 and 54 percent in 2023. That is the clearest downward trend of any age band. Across all adults, participation eased only slightly, from 61 percent in 2023 to 60 percent in 2024 and 59 percent in 2025, so the pullback is concentrated among the youngest players rather than spread evenly.

The heaviest gambling age group is not the youngest but the middle aged. Adults aged 35 to 44 recorded the highest participation at 66 percent, reinforcing a pattern the Gambling Commission has flagged before: the stereotype of the reckless young gambler does not match the survey data, where older working age adults gamble the most.

Key facts at a glance

• 48 percent: gambling participation among 18 to 24 year olds in 2025, down from 54 percent in 2023 (Gambling Survey for Great Britain, 2026).
• 59 percent: gambling participation across all adults in 2025, broadly flat year on year (GSGB, 2026).
• 40 percent: year on year rise in GamStop self-exclusion registrations among under 25s (GamStop, 2026).
• 65 percent: of university students gambled in the past 12 months, down from 78 percent in 2022 (Annual Student Gambling Survey).
• 2.4 percent: the GSGB problem gambling rate in 2025, down from 2.7 percent the prior year (GSGB, 2026).

Why are fewer young people gambling?

The survey does not pin down a single cause, but several forces point the same way. The cost of living squeeze has left younger adults with less disposable income, tighter affordability and identity checks have made it harder to open and fund accounts quickly, and a wave of public health messaging around gambling harm has landed most heavily on the age group most exposed to it online. The 2026 data suggests those pressures are showing up as fewer young people gambling at all.

There is also a shift in what young adults spend on. Competition for the same entertainment budget from gaming, streaming, crypto trading and prediction style products may be drawing spend away from traditional betting and casino play, even if some of that activity carries its own risks.

How does the participation decline compare across age groups?

The gap between the youngest and oldest gamblers is now clear. The table below sets out participation by the survey's own bands, showing that the 18 to 24 cohort has fallen furthest while middle aged adults remain the most active.

Age group	Gambling participation (2025)	Direction of travel
18 to 24	48 percent	Down from 54 percent in 2023
35 to 44	66 percent	Highest of any group
All adults	59 percent	Broadly flat, from 61 percent in 2023

If young people gamble less, why is youth self-exclusion rising?

Because participation and harm are not the same thing. Even as fewer 18 to 24 year olds gamble overall, the number choosing to block themselves from every GamStop registered site has climbed steeply. GamStop reported a 40 percent year on year increase in registrations among under 25s, and said this group now accounts for roughly a third of all new self-exclusions. Over five years, the operator has recorded around a 75 percent rise in young people signing up to the scheme.

One reading is encouraging: the tools work, awareness is up, and young people are reaching for a safety net earlier. Another reading is more sobering: those young adults who do gamble may be doing so in a more concentrated, higher risk way, often on fast online products, which is exactly the profile most likely to end in self-exclusion.

"The fact that self-exclusion has again increased significantly year on year shows that users are continuing to find it an invaluable and flexible tool to manage their gambling, particularly younger consumers." Fiona Palmer, Chief Executive, GamStop.

What do the student numbers show?

University students are gambling less too. The Annual Student Gambling Survey found that 65 percent of students had gambled in the past 12 months, down from 78 percent in 2022. Fewer students gambling, however, sits alongside evidence that those who do are spending more: average weekly gambling spend among students rose from about 33.77 pounds in 2022 to about 50.33 pounds in the latest reading.

Awareness of support is improving on campus. The survey found 58 percent of students were aware of the help available, and 69 percent felt confident they could access it, a base that support charities want to build on rather than treat as good enough.

"It is clear that the digital world students are so immersed in is increasingly influencing gambling behaviours." Emily Tofield, Chief Executive, Ygam.

How reliable are these figures?

The GSGB is the Gambling Commission's flagship push, run with the National Centre for Social Research, and it now surveys thousands of adults across Great Britain each year. It has faced scrutiny: some researchers have argued its methodology can overstate harm, which is part of why the headline problem gambling estimate of 2.4 percent sits well above the 0.7 percent produced by the older NHS Health Survey method. The direction of travel among young people, a decline in participation, is consistent enough across the GSGB and the separate student survey to be treated as a real trend rather than a statistical quirk.

What does the problem gambling rate say?

The GSGB put the problem gambling rate at 2.4 percent in 2025, down from 2.7 percent the year before. A falling rate against broadly stable participation implies that the average session is not becoming more harmful across the population, even as pockets of intense play persist among younger cohorts. We covered the full problem gambling picture in our report on the UK problem gambling rate falling to 2.4 percent in 2025.

Why does this matter for operators and regulators?

A shrinking pool of young gamblers reshapes the customer acquisition maths for UK licensed operators. If the 18 to 24 band keeps contracting, the industry's future growth has to come from retention and value per customer among older players rather than a steady stream of new young sign ups. That has real commercial weight in a market already absorbing higher costs, as we set out in our coverage of how UK gambling tax rises could fuel a 36 billion pound black market by 2031.

For regulators, the twin signals are awkward to message. Fewer young people gambling is a public health win, but rising youth self-exclusion means the minority who gamble may need sharper protection, faster affordability checks and better sign posting to help. Both things can be true at once.

How does the UK compare with other markets?

The UK trend runs against the grain of several fast growing markets where youth gambling is climbing. Regulators in parts of Africa and Asia have flagged rising youth participation and harm, and Indonesia's courts have tied a spike in family breakdown to online gambling addiction. The British picture, of falling youth participation but rising help seeking in a mature, licensed market, looks like what a well established regulatory regime produces once affordability checks, marketing limits and self-exclusion infrastructure are in place.

What happens next?

Expect the Gambling Commission to lean on these figures as it defends the direction of UK policy, and expect operators to press the point that a licensed, tightly controlled market is steering young people away from harm better than an unregulated one would. The number to watch in the next wave is whether the 18 to 24 participation line keeps falling, and whether youth self-exclusion keeps rising alongside it. If both continue, the story of young British gamblers will be less about volume and more about intensity.

Frequently asked questions

Are young people in the UK gambling less in 2026?

Yes. The 2026 Gambling Survey for Great Britain found participation among 18 to 24 year olds fell to 48 percent in 2025, down from 54 percent in 2023, the sharpest decline of any age group.

Which age group gambles the most in the UK?

Adults aged 35 to 44 gamble the most, with 66 percent participation in 2025, higher than any other age band including the youngest adults.

Why is youth self-exclusion rising if fewer young people gamble?

GamStop reported a 40 percent year on year rise in under 25 registrations. Fewer young people gamble overall, but those who do may gamble more intensely on online products and are increasingly willing to use self-exclusion tools.

What is the UK problem gambling rate in 2025?

The GSGB put the problem gambling rate at 2.4 percent in 2025, down from 2.7 percent the previous year. The older NHS Health Survey method produces a lower estimate of about 0.7 percent.

Who runs the Gambling Survey for Great Britain?

The GSGB is run by the UK Gambling Commission together with the National Centre for Social Research, surveying thousands of adults across Great Britain each year.

Updated July 2026. Figures sourced from the UK Gambling Commission's Gambling Survey for Great Britain, GamStop, and the Annual Student Gambling Survey. This is trade news for readers aged 18 and over. If gambling is affecting you, free confidential support is available through GamCare and GamStop.

Primary sources: UK Gambling Commission, Gambling Survey for Great Britain and CasinoBeats reporting on the 2026 survey.