Great Britain Sees Drop in Problem Gambling Rates to 2.4% in 2025

The Gambling Commission has released its third annual report on gambling behavior in Great Britain, revealing a decrease in the problem gambling rate to 2.4% for the year 2025. This marks a significant milestone, providing three full years of comparable data on gambling habits across the nation. The survey, conducted by NatCen and the University of Glasgow, gathered responses from 20,775 adults.

Key Facts

Three Years of Data

The consistent data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) allows for a more nuanced understanding of trends in gambling. The problem gambling rate has shown a slight downward trajectory, moving from 2.7% in 2024 to 2.5% in 2023 and now 2.4% in 2025. This provides the regulator with a robust dataset to monitor and inform its policies.

Tim Miller, from the Gambling Commission, highlighted the importance of the GSGB data. “Three years of GSGB provides a richer, more timely picture of the trend in gambling in Great Britain than has previously been available,” he stated. The survey goes beyond mere participation numbers, exploring the motivations behind gambling, the range of experiences individuals have, and the potential consequences.

Gambling Participation and Product Use

In 2025, nearly half of all adults in Great Britain, 47%, reported engaging in some form of gambling within the previous four weeks. When lottery-only players are excluded, this participation rate drops to 27%. Online gambling remains a significant channel, with 38% of adults participating online, compared to 28% for in-person gambling. After removing lottery participation, the figures for online and in-person gambling become much closer, at 16% and 17% respectively.

The data also reveals differences in gambling behavior across age groups. Younger adults, aged 18 to 24, reported using the widest variety of gambling products, averaging 3.6 different activities. This contrasts with individuals aged 75 and over, who averaged 1.7 gambling activities.

Motivations for Gambling

The survey identified several key reasons why adults gamble. The most common motivation cited was winning a large sum, reported by 84% of respondents. Fun followed as a primary driver at 69%, with making money (57%) and excitement (53%) also being significant factors.

Negative Consequences and Support Seeking

While the overall problem gambling rate has decreased, the report also addresses the negative consequences associated with gambling. Among adults who gambled in the past year, 2.7% reported at least one severe consequence. Relationship breakdown was cited as the most severe consequence, affecting 1.7% of gamblers. More commonly reported negative effects included cutting spending on everyday items (6.4%) and lying to family members about gambling (5.9%).

Access to support services remains limited, with only 3.4% of those who gambled seeking help for their own gambling issues. Additionally, 43.2% of respondents indicated that someone close to them gambled, and of this group, 3.3% sought help, information, or support.

The Gambling Commission cautioned against direct comparisons with older surveys that employed different methodologies. The year-to-year GSGB comparisons are now considered the most reliable measure for tracking trends in gambling behavior in Great Britain.

The findings of this report are crucial for understanding the evolving landscape of gambling in the UK and for informing responsible gambling initiatives. For players of video poker and other casino games, this data underscores the importance of awareness regarding participation rates, motivations, and potential risks.

Source: iGaming.org Casino News, https://igaming.org/casino-news/gambling-commission-publishes-third-annual-gsgb-report/