Conducted between January and June 2024, the study revealed that 27% of young people had spent their own money on gambling within the previous 12 months.
The Gambling Commission recently released its 2024 Young People and Gambling Report, examining the extent of children’s and young people’s exposure to and involvement in various forms of gambling.
Conducted between January and June 2024, the study revealed that 27% of young people had spent their own money on gambling within the previous 12 months. This figure is consistent with past years, with similar rates recorded in 2022 (31%) and 2023 (26%).
The most common types of gambling among young people in 2024 were all legal and did not involve age-restricted products. These included arcade gaming machines (20%), betting for money with friends or family (11%), and playing cards for money with friends or family (5%).
When examining regulated gambling activities, 21% of young people engaged in activities licensed by the Gambling Commission; however, this figure dropped to 6% when excluding arcade machines. The report also highlighted that unregulated gambling involvement stood at 15%.
A concerning trend emerged with the DSM-IV-MR-J Youth Adapted problem gambling screen, showing that 1.5% of young people scored 4 or more, indicating problematic gambling behavior. This is a rise from 0.7% in 2023 and 0.9% in 2022.
Tim Miller, Executive Director for Research and Policy at the Gambling Commission, remarked:
“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.
“However, the report also shows that young people often gamble in ways that do not require regulation, such as betting with their friends. Yet these forms of gambling can also lead to some experiencing 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.”