Jun 09, 2026 | 4:31 am
The Gambling Commission has released the third annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, offering updated figures on gambling habits, experiences, and attitudes among adults across Great Britain.
The survey collected information from around 20,000 people each year between 2023 and 2025, creating three years of official statistics on gambling participation and related behaviours. Researchers from the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow produced the survey, which has gone through an independent review of its methods.
The latest findings show that gambling participation remained broadly unchanged in 2025. Among adults aged 18 and over, 47 percent said they had taken part in some form of gambling during the previous four weeks. When lottery draw-only players were removed from the figure, participation stood at 27 percent.
Latest Figures Show Gambling Habits Remain Steady
The report found that adults gave several reasons for taking part in gambling activities. The most common reason was the possibility of winning a large amount of money, with 84 percent of participants selecting this option. Other reported reasons included finding gambling enjoyable, wanting to make money, and feeling excitement while gambling.
The survey also tracked gambling-related harm through the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The proportion of people reporting a PGSI score of 8 or above remained stable over the three-year period covered by the survey, reaching 2.4 percent in 2025.
Public Views on Gambling Experiences
Most people who gamble described their feelings towards their gambling in a positive or neutral way. The report found that 78 percent of gamblers held either a positive or neutral view when asked about their overall feelings towards their gambling.
The Gambling Survey for Great Britain allows researchers and policymakers to examine changes in gambling behaviour over time. The information covers who takes part in gambling, the products people use, their reasons for gambling, and the experiences they report.
Tim Miller, Executive Director for Research and Policy, Gambling Commission, said: "The publication of the third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain marks an important milestone.
“Three years of GSGB provides a richer, more timely picture of the trend in gambling in Great Britain than has previously been available. It helps us understand not only who gambles and the products they use, but also why people gamble, the range of experiences they have, and the consequences gambling can have in people's lives. This evidence is a vital part of a wider evidence base that informs policy, regulation and wider public discussion.
“We encourage researchers, policymakers, industry and the wider public to make use of these findings alongside the interactive dashboard and supplementary reports. As with all official statistics, we remain committed to ensuring GSGB continues to meet the highest standards through transparency, independent scrutiny and ongoing methodological improvement."
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Survey Provides Three Years of Gambling Data
The findings give the Gambling Commission and other groups a clearer view of how gambling participation and experiences have changed since the survey began producing annual results. The organisation said the ongoing collection of information will support future analysis and discussions around gambling policy and regulation.
The survey includes views from consumers across Great Britain, including people who take part in National Lottery activities, making it one of the largest dedicated gambling surveys in the world.
Source:
Commission publishes third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, July 16, 2026.