The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released the second annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) – recognized as the world’s largest dedicated study of gambling participation, behavior, and its impacts.
Conducted by the National Centre for Social Research in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, the survey gathered responses from 19,714 adults across four quarterly waves between January 2024 and January 2025.
The GSGB offers an in-depth look into how Britons engage with gambling, both online and offline, and the motivations and challenges that accompany these activities. According to the report, 48% of UK adults took part in some form of gambling over the past four weeks, while 28% did so excluding lottery games. Participation was higher online (38%) than offline (29%), showing the continued rise of digital gambling platforms.
The average player engaged in 2.4 different gambling activities, and overall satisfaction levels were mixed: 42% rated their most recent experience positively, 37% were neutral, and 21% reported a negative experience.
Motivations for gambling varied — 85% of participants said they played for a chance to win a large amount of money, 72% for entertainment, 57% to earn extra income, and 56% for the excitement and thrill of the activity.
However, the survey also revealed concerning behavioral trends. 1.6% of respondents reported relationship breakdowns linked to gambling, 6.7% said they had to cut spending on everyday needs, 6% admitted to lying to family members about gambling, and 5.7% had borrowed money to play. Meanwhile, nearly 48% of adults said they had someone close to them who gambled regularly.
Beginning October 31, all licensed operators in the UK will be required to offer players the option to set financial limits before making their first deposit, a new measure aimed at promoting safer gambling and preventing addiction.
