Summary:
A report by the UK Gambling Commission has found that 31% of the sample group gambled with their own money in the past year, though the majority of this was legal and did not feature age-restricted products. Some 22% played arcade gaming machines such as penny pusher or claw grab machines, while 15% placed a bet for money between friends or family.
The Young People and Gambling 2022 report looked at the gambling behavior, attitudes and awareness of gambling among younger people in Britain, with the results based on a sample of 2,559 school pupils.
34% of the sample group gambled with their own money in the past year, though the majority of this was legal and did not feature age-restricted products, according to the report.
Some 22% played arcade gaming machines such as penny pusher or claw grab machines, while 15% placed a bet for money between friends or family, and 5% played cards with family or friends for money.
According to the report, 0.9% of those who gambled were identified as problem gamblers. A further 2.5% were classified as at-risk gamblers, while 27.3% were non-problem gamblers.
23% of the young people who gambled spent their own money on regulated forms of gambling, according to the report.
In the past year, 10% of people said they had played some form of National Lottery game, but only 2% used their own money, and the majority were in the presence of their parents, caregivers or guardians when making the purchase.
The report said that online gambling activity was low. 2% of young people said they gambled on these events, while 1% spent their own money on National Lottery instant win games, betting on a website or apps, or casino games online, which was the most common form of online gambling.
80% of those who gambled did so because it was fun, and 21% said it made them feel happy. 29% disagreed that it made them happy, and another 29% said they were unsure either way.
Almost one third (28%) said family members they live with gamble, of which 7% said this had resulted in arguments or tension at home. Gambling by a family member has helped to pay for things at home such as holidays, trips, or clubs.
The Commission said that there is clearly a group who still struggle with gambling, despite the headline data around regulated age-restricted products being encouraging.
We are committed to understanding and acting on these findings in more detail to help us, and a variety of other stakeholders, appreciate if and how young people are playing on regulated and non- regulated products, the challenges, and the wider implications.