Stark rise in young ‘problem gamblers’

Young people are increasingly facing the dangerous consequences of gambling, a new survey by GambleAware has found.

The charity warned that the rise in those classified as experiencing some level of difficulty with gambling “was especially stark” among 18 to 34-year-olds.

Based on research by pollsters YouGov, GambleAware’s annual Treatment and Support Survey included an online survey of nearly 18,000 British adults and one-to-one Zoom interviews with gamblers.

Under 35s at risk

GambleAware reported that 15.6 per cent of GB adults surveyed in 2024 received a Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score, “indicating that they were experiencing any level of problems with gambling” — an increase from 13.1 per cent in 2023.

But the survey revealed that the proportion of 18 to 34-year-olds registering on the PGSI scale had increased from 19.7 per cent in 2023 to 25.4 per cent in 2024.

Researchers also found that young people with a PGSI score of one or more “were more likely to have sought advice, support and treatment” — 44 per cent of 18-34s reported seeking help in 2024, compared to those aged 35-54 (27 per cent) and 55+ (7 per cent).

The industry-funded charity noted that it is “more common for those who have recently started gambling to be under 35”.

Exposure

GambleAware Chief Executive Zoe Osmond said: “Gambling can be highly addictive, with devastating impacts on people’s lives, relationships and financial stability.”

She also said: “We are increasingly alarmed by how gambling is being normalised and how frequently people – especially young people – are exposed to gambling across Great Britain.

“To reverse this troubling trend, urgent preventative action is needed. This must include tougher regulation of gambling advertising to stop gambling being portrayed as ‘harmless fun’.

“There should also be mandatory health warnings on all gambling ads, stricter controls on digital and social media marketing, and a full ban on gambling promotion in stadiums and sports venues to protect children and young people from harm.”

Students

In March, the annual Student Gambling Survey found that almost half of students gamble to try to make money.

The survey, commissioned by Ygam and GAMSTOP, questioned 2,000 students from universities across the UK. Of those who gambled, a quarter of a million (17 per cent) were identified as “gambling with negative consequences and a possible loss of control”.

Findings indicated that while 58 per cent of those students who gambled “stated that gambling had not affected their university experience”, ten per cent “struggled to afford food” and seven per cent “faced difficulties paying for accommodation or bills”.

GAMSTOP CEO Fiona Palmer warned that the risk of gambling related harm is far higher among students than in the general population and more needed to be done to educate them “about the consequences of gambling in the expectation of making money”.