Key points:
- 27% of young people spent their own money on gambling, a figure extrapolated from a sample of 3,869
- Those young people experiencing problem gambling has increased
- Concerns about young people engaging in gambling that do not require regulation
The Gambling Commission has published its 2024 Young People and Gambling Report, which looks into children’s and young people’s exposure to, and involvement in, all types of gambling.
This study took place between January and June 2024 and showed that in the 12 months prior to taking part in the survey, 27% of young people spent their own money on gambling.
Compared with previous years, the figure is similar, with 2022 being 31% and 2023 being 26% of young people who spent money on any gambling activity in the last 12 months.
The three most common types of gambling young people spent their money on in the 2024 survey was legal and didn’t involve age-restricted products, such as arcade gaming machines (20%), playing a bet for money between friends and family (11%) and playing cards with friends or family for money (5%).
Though 21% of young people engaged in regulated gambling, as in those licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission, this number drops to 6% when it relates to regulated gambling without arcade machines. Unregulated gambling engagement, according to the survey, was 15%.
Young people who scored 4 or more on the DSM-IV-MR-J Youth Adapted problem gambling screen totalled 1.5%, which is up from 2023 when it was 0.7% and 2022 when it was 0.9%.
Good to know: The Gambling Commission appointed two new members to its Advisory Board for Safer Gambling (ABSG) at the start of October
Gambling Commission Executive Director for research and policy Tim Miller said: “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.”
Miller spoke this week at the Gambling Harms Action Lab launch, which is a three-year programme.
