Gambling Survey for Great Britain Delivers Three-Year Trend Data on Participation and Harms

The Gambling Commission published its third annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain in July 2026, marking the first release of three consecutive years of comparable official statistics. Data collected throughout 2025 from approximately 20,775 respondents covers gambling participation, behaviors, attitudes, and harms across the population. Researchers compiled the figures to establish baseline trends that regulators and analysts can track over time.

Survey Scope and Methodology

The Gambling Survey for Great Britain operates as the primary source of national statistics on adult gambling activity. Officials designed the questionnaire to capture consistent measures year after year, allowing direct comparison between 2023, 2024, and 2025 results. The 2025 wave reached roughly 20,775 adults through a combination of online and postal methods that reflect the broader population structure. Because the same core questions appear across all three waves, analysts can now identify whether rates have shifted or remained stable.

Key Participation and Behavior Figures

Overall participation levels appear in the report alongside breakdowns by activity type. Respondents reported engagement with lotteries, sports betting, casino games, and other forms during the previous 12 months. The survey also records frequency of play and typical spend patterns. Those patterns feed into separate calculations that separate recreational activity from higher-intensity involvement. Because the same methodology applies each year, any movement in these numbers can be attributed to actual change rather than differences in how the data were collected.

Problem Gambling Rate Remains at 2.4 Percent

The headline statistic shows the problem gambling rate holding steady at 2.4 percent across the three-year period. This figure derives from the Problem Gambling Severity Index, a validated screening tool embedded in the questionnaire. Observers note that the rate has not moved outside the margin of error between the first, second, and third annual datasets. At the same time, the survey tracks related indicators such as gambling-related harms experienced by individuals and affected others. These harm measures include financial difficulties, relationship strain, and mental health impacts reported by respondents or their family members.

Attitudes Toward Gambling

Attitudinal questions reveal how the public views gambling's role in society. Respondents answered items about perceived benefits, risks, and the need for further restrictions. The three-year dataset lets researchers examine whether views have hardened or softened alongside participation numbers. Data shows that a majority continue to see both positive and negative aspects, with attitudes remaining broadly consistent rather than shifting sharply from one year to the next.

Three Consecutive Years of Trend Data

Before this release, the regulator lacked a continuous run of comparable figures. The addition of the 2025 wave supplies the missing third data point. Analysts can therefore calculate year-on-year changes with greater confidence. For instance, the stability of the 2.4 percent problem gambling rate now rests on three independent samples rather than a single snapshot. The report also includes confidence intervals around each estimate so readers understand the precision of the findings. Gambling Survey for Great Britain (Annual Report 2025) contains the full tables and methodological notes that support these comparisons.

Regulatory Context

The Gambling Commission uses these statistics to inform policy development and licensing decisions. Steady rates provide one reference point when evaluating the impact of existing rules or considering adjustments. The three-year series also supplies evidence for external bodies that review gambling legislation. Because the survey runs annually, future releases will extend the trend line further and reveal whether the current plateau continues or breaks.

Conclusion

The July 2026 publication establishes a reliable baseline of three consecutive years of data on gambling participation, behaviors, attitudes, and harms in Great Britain. With approximately 20,775 respondents contributing to the 2025 wave, the problem gambling rate stands at 2.4 percent, unchanged from prior years. The report supplies the first continuous trend information available to the regulator, enabling more precise monitoring of patterns over time.