UK Gambling Commission Issues Third GSGB Report Detailing Participation and Prevalence Trends

The UK Gambling Commission released the third annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain in mid-2026, presenting official statistics gathered between 2023 and 2025 on adult gambling activity across the country. This document compiles responses from roughly 20,000 participants each year and stands among the largest dedicated gambling studies worldwide, allowing analysts to track changes over multiple periods with considerable precision. Participation rates remained consistent throughout the covered years, with 47 percent of adults reporting that they had gambled in the past four weeks by 2025. When lottery-only players were excluded from the calculation the figure dropped to 27 percent, and observers note that these proportions have held steady across the three annual data sets. The survey also recorded common motivations among participants, including the desire to win money and the pursuit of entertainment, while attitudes toward gambling showed little movement from one year to the next.

Survey Design and Scope

The Gambling Survey for Great Britain uses a large-scale methodology that draws respondents from across England, Scotland and Wales, producing national-level estimates that policymakers and industry stakeholders can apply directly. Because the same core questions have been repeated each year, researchers can compare figures without needing to adjust for major changes in sampling approach, which strengthens the reliability of any observed patterns.

Data collection covers participation in various forms of gambling, problem gambling prevalence measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index, and self-reported consequences that individuals associate with their activity. The 2025 results placed the proportion of adults scoring 8 or higher on the PGSI at 2.4 percent, matching the level recorded in earlier waves and confirming stability in this key indicator as well.

Key Statistical Findings

Figures reveal that nearly half of the adult population engaged in some form of gambling within the four-week reference period, yet the exclusion of lottery draws narrows the group substantially. Motivations cluster around financial gain and leisure, while reported consequences remain distributed across a spectrum that includes both positive and negative experiences. The consistency of these outcomes across three years provides a baseline against which future shifts can be measured.

One analysis of the data set highlighted that problem gambling prevalence stayed fixed at 2.4 percent even as overall participation held constant, suggesting that the relationship between these two measures has not changed markedly during the study window. Stakeholders who rely on these statistics for planning now have three consecutive data points that support trend monitoring rather than isolated snapshots.

Implications for Policy and Research

The report supplies evidence that regulators and public-health bodies can use when reviewing existing frameworks or designing new interventions. Because the survey reaches a large and nationally representative sample each year, its outputs carry weight in discussions about harm minimisation and consumer protection. Analysts have already begun incorporating the 2025 numbers into models that project demand for support services and assess the reach of current responsible-gambling messages.

Those who study gambling behaviour note that the stability observed so far does not preclude future variation, and the ongoing nature of the project means additional waves will be available for comparison. The Commission has indicated that subsequent reports will maintain the same methodological standards, preserving the ability to detect any departures from the patterns established between 2023 and 2025.

Conclusion

The third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain delivers a clear picture of steady participation levels and unchanged problem-gambling prevalence through 2025, backed by one of the largest dedicated data collections in the field. With its consistent approach and extensive respondent base, the series continues to supply the factual foundation that policymakers, researchers and other interested parties require for informed decision-making in the years ahead.