The UK Gambling Commission has published the third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), providing three consecutive years of comparable data on gambling participation, behaviour and gambling-related harm.
The survey, covering the period from 2023 to 2025, is based on responses from approximately 20,000 adults each year and was conducted by the National Centre for Social Research in partnership with the University of Glasgow.
According to the 2025 findings, 47% of adults reported participating in some form of gambling during the previous four weeks. Excluding National Lottery draw-only participants, the figure was 27%, with overall participation levels remaining stable across the three-year period.
The survey found that the most commonly cited reason for gambling was the chance of winning a large sum of money, selected by 84% of respondents. Other frequently reported motivations included gambling being enjoyable (69%), making money (57%) and excitement (53%).
The proportion of respondents recording a Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score of eight or above, indicating problem gambling, remained stable at 2.4% in 2025.
The Commission also reported that 78% of people who gamble described their feelings towards gambling as either positive or neutral.
The GSGB is intended to provide a consistent measure of gambling behaviour over time. The Commission said comparisons should be made between successive GSGB waves rather than with surveys using different methodologies. Alongside the annual report, it has also published two supplementary reports examining gambling-related consequences, with further analysis scheduled for release later this year.
Tim Miller, Executive Director for Research and Policy, Gambling Commission, said: “The publication of the third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain marks an important milestone.
“Three years of GSGB provides a richer, more timely picture of the trend in gambling in Great Britain than has previously been available. It helps us understand not only who gambles and the products they use, but also why people gamble, the range of experiences they have, and the consequences gambling can have in people’s lives. This evidence is a vital part of a wider evidence base that informs policy, regulation and wider public discussion.
“We encourage researchers, policymakers, industry and the wider public to make use of these findings alongside the interactive dashboard and supplementary reports. As with all official statistics, we remain committed to ensuring GSGB continues to meet the highest standards through transparency, independent scrutiny and ongoing methodological improvement.”
More information about the PGSI screen can be found here Problem gambling screens.
