UK gambling participation hits record low, but online activity continues to rise

Gambling participation in the United Kingdom has fallen to its lowest level since 2023, according to the latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain published by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) on May 23.

The Year 2, Wave 4 report revealed that 46% of UK adults engaged in some form of gambling, including the National Lottery, during the previous four weeks, a decline from 49% in the previous wave.

The survey, conducted between September 2024 and January 2025 and based on responses from 5,191 adults, highlights a continued shift in gambling behavior. While overall participation has decreased, online gambling continues to show steady growth.

Participation in online gambling, excluding the lottery, rose to 17%, up from 16% in Wave 3. In contrast, lottery participation declined from 37% to 34%, and in-person gambling participation remained flat at 18%.

Excluding the lottery, the proportion of people gambling has held relatively steady at 28%, a modest increase from 27% in 2023. The upward trend in online gambling is seen as the main contributor to this stability, even as overall gambling rates decline.

The data also provided a closer look at gambling patterns across gender and age groups. Men continue to gamble more than women in all formats, particularly online, where 23% of males reported gambling versus 11% of females. The largest gender gap was observed in betting, with 17% of men participating, 14% of them online, compared to just 4% of women.

Age demographics reveal that gambling activity typically increases with age before tapering off. However, online gambling remains most prevalent among young adult males aged 18 to 24, with 33% participation. Female participation in online gambling peaks in the 35 to 54 age group.

Motivations for gambling were also explored in the report. A strong majority of participants, 85%, said they gambled for the chance to win big money, while 73% said they did so for enjoyment.

Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 87% cited fun as a motivation, surpassing the 71% who pointed to financial gain. This group also reported higher social motivations: 75% said they gambled because it was exciting, and 58% said they did it with friends or family.

Alongside the survey findings, the UKGC announced an expanded research initiative under its Consumer Voice framework. Four specialist research suppliers, Yonder Consulting, the Behavioural Insights Team, Humankind Research, and Savanta, have been contracted for two years, with the option to extend until 2029.

“This new framework gives us greater agility and reach than ever before,” said Laura Carter, the Gambling Commission’s Head of Research. “With these four partners, we’re better equipped to commission high-quality research quickly and use a range of approaches to respond to emerging trends or risks as they develop.”

The Consumer Voice program aims to deepen the Commission’s understanding of gambling behavior through targeted studies, supplementing its nationally representative surveys. In 2024, the initiative engaged over 10,000 gambling consumers and addressed issues such as financial risk checks and the impact of gambling during the cost-of-living crisis.