Gambling Commission reports 74% of UK children did not gamble in 2026
Regulation2 min read
The Gambling Commission said 74% of 11- to 17-year-olds in Great Britain had not gambled in the previous 12 months, up from 69.6% in 2025. Its annual survey found that 5% had spent money on age-restricted products; the Commission said licensed operators should maintain safeguards against underage access.
According to a Gambling Commission report, 74% of 11- to 17-year-olds in Great Britain reported no gambling in the previous 12 months, up from 69.6% in 2025. The increase was statistically significant.
In 2026, 26% of respondents said they had gambled with their own money in the past year, while 5% said they had spent money on products restricted to adults. The regulator said licensed operators needed to maintain safeguards against underage access to restricted products, including betting in shops and online casino games. It said youth participation should be considered across different types of activity, some of which are not subject to adult gambling restrictions.
Arcade machines, including penny pushers and prize grabbers, were reported by 19% of respondents, while 11% reported cash bets with friends or family and 5% reported playing cards for money with acquaintances or relatives.
The survey found that 0.9% of young people reported problematic experiences, compared with 1.2% a year earlier. The difference was not statistically significant and did not establish a reduction. The experiences considered included missing school, hiding behaviour from friends or family and gambling with money intended for daily needs. The Gambling Commission said its measures of problematic behaviour, including the DSM-IV-MR-J questionnaire adapted for young people, were not clinical diagnostic tools. The results should not be interpreted as a measure of gambling addiction among minors.
Reports of gambling in the preceding year fell among young people, to 45% in 2026 from 50% in 2022. The proportion who gambled with their own money also dropped, from 31% to 26%. The annual surveys show that participation fluctuated in the intervening years, despite the overall decline.
The survey found that 89% of young people recalled seeing or hearing gambling advertising or promotions in the past year, and 22% said they had used their own money to buy loot boxes or other surprise virtual packs in video games. The survey examined advertising on social media and links between gambling and video games.
The annual survey drew on responses from 3,867 students aged 11 to 17, using an online questionnaire administered during school hours in state schools, academies and independent schools in England, Scotland and Wales. The regulator said the self-reported data were estimates rather than independent measurements of activity. For the 2026 edition, the Gambling Commission expanded information on research quality and interpretation and said the findings should be used alongside other sources.
Ben Haden, the Gambling Commission's director of research and statistics, said its priority was to prevent children and teenagers from spending money on adult gambling products while considering the wider context of their behaviour.