UK gambling statistics: participation, regulation, and industry data

Gambling industry revenue UK

The UK gambling industry generated £16.8 billion in gross gambling yield in FY 2024-25, according to the Gambling Commission's annual industry statistics. That's a 7.3% increase on the previous year and the first time annual GGY crossed £16 billion. GGY is the amount retained by operators after paying out winnings, before operating costs.

Within the remote sector, online casino games generated £5.0 billion in GGY, of which £4.2 billion (84%) came from slots. Remote betting totalled £2.6 billion, with football at £1.3 billion and horse racing at £766.7 million.

Remote gambling's share has grown from 40% pre-pandemic to 46%, while land-based has recovered to pre-pandemic levels but remains essentially flat. The structural shift to online is the defining trend of UK gambling.

How many people gamble in the UK?

According to GSGB Wave 3 (July–October 2025), 48% of adults gambled in the past four weeks — unchanged from the same period in 2024. Excluding those who only played lottery draws, participation drops to 28%.

Problem gambling statistics UK

The GSGB Annual Report for 2024 found that 2.7% of UK adults scored PGSI 8+ (problem gambling), equating to approximately 1.4 million people. A further 3.1% were at moderate risk and 8.8% at low risk.

These figures are higher than previous estimates from the Health Survey for England (0.3% in 2021) and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (0.4% in 2023/24). The difference is primarily methodological — experimental research by Professor Patrick Sturgis found that face-to-face surveys produce lower gambling reports due to social desirability bias. The Gambling Commission has confirmed the GSGB as its official source.

Young men are disproportionately affected: 6.0% of men scored PGSI 8+ compared to 2.8% of women.

In Scotland, the gradient is even steeper: 11.0% in the most deprived areas versus 0.5–0.7% in the least deprived.

Gambling addiction statistics UK: treatment and help-seeking

Despite an estimated 1.4 million people meeting the problem gambling threshold, only a fraction seek treatment. GamCare's National Gambling Helpline receives approximately 40,000 calls per year. Online slots and sports betting are the activities most commonly associated with treatment referrals. The average time between developing a gambling problem and seeking help is estimated at several years.

If these numbers concern you, our self-assessment quiz uses the same PGSI screening tool and takes two minutes.

UK gambling regulation

The UK gambling industry is regulated by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005.

The 2023 White Paper marked the most significant proposed overhaul since the 2005 Act. Its measures are being implemented through 2025-2026.

Online gambling in the UK

Online gambling accounts for 46% of total UK GGY. Remote casino, betting, and bingo generated £7.8 billion in FY 2024-25 — a 13.1% increase. There were 24.4 million active accounts and 25.2 billion bets and spins in Q4 alone.

The decline of land-based gambling

Betting shops have declined for eleven consecutive reporting periods. There were 5,825 shops operating in Great Britain as of March 2025 — down 36% from approximately 9,100 a decade earlier.

The 2019 FOBT stake reduction and 2020 COVID closures accelerated a decline already driven by the shift to online gambling.

National Lottery and society lotteries

National Lottery ticket sales reached £7.9 billion in FY 2024-25, with £1.6 billion contributed to good causes. Large society lotteries added a further £484.6 million to good causes from £1.1 billion in ticket sales.

Young people and gambling

According to the Gambling Commission's 2025 report, 30% of 11-17 year olds in Great Britain gambled with their own money in the previous 12 months. Of those, 23% engaged in regulated gambling and 18% in unregulated gambling — the latter up from 15% in 2024.

1.2% of young people met the criteria for problem gambling (DSM-IV-MR-J score 4+). The most common activities were private bets with friends, scratchcards, and fruit machines. The rise in unregulated gambling — including social media betting and skin gambling linked to video games — is a growing concern. For more on the gaming-gambling crossover, see our guide on loot boxes and gambling.

Gambling harm and support

Financial harm

The GSGB found that 12.2% of men who gambled reported chasing losses at least sometimes, and 6.9% reported betting more than they could afford. Among those who reach treatment services, debt is a near-universal presenting issue, with many reporting borrowing from multiple sources to fund gambling or service debts.

Gambling and mental health

Research commissioned by GambleAware has consistently found links between problem gambling and depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. The GSGB reported that 12.2% of participants who gambled in the past year experienced suicidal thoughts or attempts, with 5.2% attributing this partly or wholly to gambling. These figures require cautious interpretation given the survey methodology, but underline the severity of harm at the extreme end.

Affected others

Research suggests that for every person with a gambling problem, between 6 and 10 people close to them experience negative consequences. This estimate comes from older research and the true figure may vary, but it means the total number of people affected by gambling harm in the UK extends well beyond the 1.4 million who meet the problem gambling threshold.

Getting support

Free, confidential support is available:

• National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (24/7, GamCare)
• GamCare: live chat, counselling, forum — gamcare.org.uk
• GamStop: self-exclusion from UKGC-licensed online gambling
• NHS National Problem Gambling Service: specialist treatment via GP referral
• Gordon Moody Association: residential treatment
• Gamblers Anonymous: peer support meetings across the UK

Our responsible gambling resources provide tools for setting limits and managing your gambling.