Gambling Commission survey: 26% of 11-17s spent own money on gambling in 2026

The Gambling Commission published its Young People and Gambling 2026 official statistics on 12 November 2026, reporting a decline in youth gambling participation since 2022. The survey found that 26% of 11- to 17-year-olds had used their own money to gamble during the 12 months before they took part, while 5% had done so on age-restricted activities.

The release also shows that exposure to gambling advertising remains widespread among this age group, a point likely to matter for affiliates and operators that run social and video campaigns in Great Britain.

What happened

The report was produced by Ipsos for the Commission. Its findings come from 3,867 pupils aged 11 to 17, drawn from academies, maintained schools and independent schools across England, Scotland and Wales. Each pupil filled in an online self-report questionnaire during class, with fieldwork running from 12 January to 12 June 2026.

The Commission's headline figures for active involvement in gambling, meaning spending their own money, are:

Measure	2026
Spent own money on any gambling in the last 12 months	26%
Non-age-restricted gambling activities	24%
Age-restricted gambling activities	5%
Arcade machines, for example penny pushers or claw grabs	19%
Bets for money between friends or family	11%
Card games played for money with friends or family	5%

According to the Commission, the share of young people who had spent their own money on gambling fell to 26% in 2026, down from 31% in 2022. It described this as an overall decline, with variations across the intervening years. It also cautioned that comparisons with 2026 are indicative only, because the 2022 sample left out year 12 pupils and independent schools.

On problem gambling, 0.9% reached a score of 4 or more on the youth-adapted screen (DSM-IV-MR-J), which the Commission treats as representing a young person experiencing problem gambling. A further 2.0% scored 2 or 3, which it classes as 'at risk', and 23.1% scored 0 or 1. The Commission said the share scoring 4 or more has remained relatively stable since 2022.

Advertising and social media. Some 89% of young people remembered coming across gambling advertising or promotions, by sight or sound, in the past year. Respondents were most likely to report seeing gambling adverts at least once a week on social media (55%), followed by live streaming or video sharing platforms (53%), television (52%) and apps (51%). Among respondents, 15% followed gambling-related content on social media or streaming platforms, and 38% of that group said that influencers, creators or streamers they followed had advertised gambling-related content to them.

Gaming. Some 82% knew of at least one kind of in-game item activity, and 84% of those who knew of one had used at least one. Across all respondents, 22% said they had opened virtual loot boxes or surprise boxes with their own money.

Ben Haden, the Commission's director of research and statistics, said the regulator aims to make sure that children and young people cannot spend money on age-restricted gambling products, "with an appreciation of the wider context".

Ahead of publication, industry commentator Dan Waugh questioned the reliability of the survey's numbers and raised concerns about the self-report classroom format. In response, a Commission spokesperson said survey findings should be read as estimates of what young people report about their experiences and behaviour, not as independently verified measures of what they actually did.

Why it matters

Affiliates and operators should check how their social, streaming and influencer activity in Great Britain is targeted and age-gated, because the Commission's data again puts advertising reach among under-18s in the spotlight. The 89% recall figure and the 38% of followers who said creators had advertised gambling-related content to them are the kind of statistics that can inform scrutiny of creator and platform-based marketing.

The 5% figure for age-restricted gambling gives the Commission a data point it can cite on underage access. It is also likely to be used alongside the regulator's reminders that the survey measures reported behaviour. Operators will need to keep underage safeguards robust regardless, as the Commission's focus remains on children being unable to spend money on age-restricted products.

The loot box finding is relevant to suppliers and brands operating near gaming, since the Commission continues to track the overlap between gambling and in-game purchasing. The methodological caveats, including the 2022 sample differences and the self-report format, mean the trend figures are best cited with those limits attached.

What's next

The full report, data tables and an interactive dashboard are available on the Commission's publication page.