Jason Heffron, Senior Communications and Partnerships Officer, Money and Mental Health
Gambling harm in Great Britain: the figures, and what banks can do about it
13 November 2025
- Recent figures published by the Gambling Commission offer a glimpse of the extent of gambling harm in the UK and some of the groups most affected.
- The figures suggest that 1 in 37 people are experiencing ‘problem gambling’ – and may not be in control of their behaviour. That rises to 1 in 16 among people who’ve gambled – excluding National Lottery draws – in the last year.
- Young people are also significantly more likely than older cohorts to be experiencing gambling harms.
- But there are interventions that can make a difference: our Gambling Harms Action Lab is working directly with banks and building societies on testing tools that can prevent gambling harm and help people to stay in control.
Last month, the Gambling Commission published its second annual set of statistics from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The survey of nearly 20,000 people found that 1.4 million people are experiencing adverse consequences and harm to a detrimental level due to gambling.
The survey found that 2.7% of adults scored eight or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) – a commonly used measure of the negative impacts of gambling. A score of eight or higher indicates that someone may be experiencing ‘problem gambling’ – and could be a sign that someone is not in control of their behaviour.
The number of people experiencing problem gambling remains consistent from last year’s release (GSGB Year 1, 2023) which found that 2.5% of people in Great Britain scored 8 or more on the PGSI.
We’ve been digging into the survey in more detail to identify what we can learn about who is experiencing gambling harm and what this means for the opportunities for financial services firms to better support their customers.
Disproportionate harm
The baseline of 2.7% of people experiencing problem gambling is a population-wide number. When looking specifically at people who had gambled in the last 12 months, this number rises to 4.5%, and rises yet further to 6.3% when those who participate only in National Lottery draws are excluded.
These numbers show that people who regularly participate in non-lottery gambling activities are over twice as likely to be experiencing problem gambling. This means a greater risk of mental health challenges, financial difficulties and challenges to relationships.
“Struggling with the current financial crisis and cost of living, I tried to increase funds by gambling. Unfortunately, it placed me in more financial hardship, impacted my wellbeing and left me in a worse situation.” Expert by experience
The toll on young people
We know from existing research that young people are more likely to be impacted by gambling harms. In the latest GSGB, 5.3% of those aged 18-24 score 8 or higher on the PGSI scale, nearly twice the rate of the overall population. The figures suggest that young people are experiencing a range of harms from gambling at a far greater rate than average.
More than one in ten (10.2%) 18-24 year olds scored above PGSI 3 or more – meaning they are at either moderate risk of adverse consequences from their gambling or will have already experienced adverse consequences, compared to 3.4% of those aged 55 to 64.
Furthermore, 2.4% of 18-34 year olds had lost something of financial value due to gambling, more than double the rate of 35-54 year olds (1%) who had experienced the same consequence.
Approaches to prevention
Many of the findings from the latest GSGB paint a bleak picture about both the rates and types of harm people in Britain are experiencing due to gambling. But there is work being done to counter this harm.
In 2023, the government published ‘High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age’, which made recommendations for changes on many aspects of gambling in the UK. This included implementing a statutory levy (a compulsory payment by gambling operators) to fund independent gambling prevention campaigns, research, and treatment services. The change to the funding system means that there will be a guaranteed baseline of funding for these initiatives moving forward – though the GSGB numbers suggest that a lot of work is needed to support those who need it most.
There is also the Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGG), an internationally recognised approach to reducing the harm from gambling – including a recommendation to gamble no more than 1% of household income before tax per month, and for people to reduce the number of days they gamble monthly too.
What we’re doing
A public health approach to gambling harm prevention requires a whole community approach to tackling the causes of the harm and offering solutions. Working directly with the financial services sector, the Gambling Harms Action Lab is working to deliver solutions that reduce gambling harm without the need for direct engagement with gambling operator- led solutions.
The Gambling Survey for Great Britain has provided more detail on the harm that gambling causes many in Britain. The time to work on reducing this harm is now.
If you would like to support the work of the Gambling Harms Action Lab by sharing your experience, please consider joining our Research Community.