UK Gambling Commission’s 2024 Report Highlights Youth Gambling Trends and Associated Risks
The UK Gambling Commission has released its 2024 Young People and Gambling Report, offering insights into young people’s exposure to and participation in gambling. The study reveals a significant portion of youths engaging in gambling, with both regulated and unregulated forms contributing to risk factors.
Key Findings on Youth Gambling Behavior
The study, conducted from January to June 2024, found that 27% of young people had used their own money on gambling activities within the 12 months prior to the survey. This figure is consistent with recent years, showing a slight variation from 31% in 2022 and 26% in 2023.
The report identifies that most gambling activities among young people do not involve age-restricted products. Instead, the most common activities were arcade gaming machines (20%), informal bets with friends or family (11%), and playing card games for money (5%).
Regulated vs. Unregulated Gambling
Approximately 21% of young people engaged in regulated forms of gambling, though this drops to 6% when excluding arcade gaming. Engagement with unregulated gambling was recorded at 15%, underscoring a substantial proportion of informal betting activities within this age group.
One concerning finding is the increase in young people scoring 4 or more on the DSM-IV-MR-J Youth Adapted problem gambling screen—a metric indicating potential gambling problems. In 2024, this group reached 1.5%, a rise from 0.7% in 2023 and 0.9% in 2022.
Commission’s Response and Recommendations
Tim Miller, Executive Director for Research and Policy at the Gambling Commission, emphasized the importance of this data for shaping policy:
“Today’s report gives us important insights into the relationship between young people and gambling. Where it relates to regulated forms of gambling, we use the data to continuously keep under review and, where needed, strengthen the suite of protections for young people that we require gambling companies to have in place.”
Miller highlighted that unregulated forms of gambling, such as informal betting among peers, can also lead to harm. “Our report points to the opportunities that parents, schools, and other groups have to also help reduce gambling harm among children and young people.”
Gambling Harms Action Lab: A New Initiative
This week, Miller spoke at the launch of the Gambling Harms Action Lab, a new three-year program aimed at addressing gambling-related harms. The initiative seeks to collaborate with various stakeholders to develop more effective preventive measures and support for young people affected by gambling.
