Key findings

• There has been a sharp increase in people seeking help for gambling-related harm. Report shows almost 1 in 3 (30%) adults who gamble and are experiencing any level of problems want treatment, support or advice, almost doubling from 17% in 2020.
• The number of people affected by family or friend’s gambling has increased from 6% in 2020 to 8% in 2024 — now equivalent to an estimated 4.3 million adults in Great Britain3. Estimates based on the YouGov survey also shows that around two million children may be living in households with adults experiencing ‘problem gambling’.
• Among people who gamble, around one in four (24%) reported that they started gambling in the past 12 months. People who recently started gambling were more likely to be experiencing any level of problems from their gambling (PGSI 1+) compared to those who did not start recently (31% vs. 24%).
• Among people who gamble, one in three (33%) had participated in a prize draw in the past year, which rose to two in three (67%) among those experiencing ‘problem gambling’ (PGSI 8+). Around one in four (27%) people who gamble were estimated to be experiencing any level of problems from their participation in these prize draws (PGSI 1+), and around one in nine (11%) were estimated to be experiencing ‘problem gambling’ (PGSI 8+).
• The report, which also explored attitudes towards children’s exposure to gambling, found widespread support for more restrictions on gambling advertising in formats popular with children, with 91% supporting a ban on gambling advertising on TV and video games and 90% supporting a ban on social media
• People who gamble had mixed perceptions regarding the National Lottery and related products. While in general there was strong agreement that the National Lottery is a form of gambling (84%), and disagreement that these products are harmless, people were much more likely to agree (45%) than disagree (14%) that the National Lottery is good for society overall. The data reveals stigma, the normalisation of gambling, the ongoing cost of living crisis, excessive gambling advertising and accessibility of gambling all act as barriers preventing people from seeking support.