Third Annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain Reveals Consistent Participation and Problem Gambling Levels

The UK Gambling Commission has released the third annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, which compiles three years of official statistics spanning 2023 through 2025 on participation rates, behaviours, attitudes, and consequences. Data indicates that headline participation held steady at 47 percent of adults who gambled in the past four weeks during 2025, while the figure drops to 27 percent when lottery-only players are excluded, and problem gambling rates measured by PGSI scores of 8 or higher remained stable at 2.4 percent. Researchers compiled these findings from one of the world's largest dedicated gambling surveys, drawing on roughly 20,000 respondents each year to build a reliable dataset for trend analysis.

Stable Participation Trends Across Three Years

Figures from the report show that overall gambling involvement has not shifted dramatically since the survey began tracking these metrics, which allows policymakers to identify patterns without the distraction of sudden spikes or drops. Adults across Great Britain continue to engage with lotteries, casino games, sports betting, and other forms at rates that mirror previous years, and the exclusion of lottery-only activity provides a clearer view of non-lottery gambling behaviours. Observers note that this consistency emerges from detailed questioning on frequency and type of activity, which helps separate casual participants from those who engage more regularly.

Problem Gambling Rates Hold Steady

The PGSI score of 8 or higher, which signals problem gambling, stayed at 2.4 percent throughout the three-year period, according to the compiled statistics. This measure captures individuals who report multiple negative consequences from their gambling, and the lack of movement suggests that existing interventions and awareness efforts have maintained equilibrium in this area. Data reveals that attitudes toward gambling also show little change, with many respondents expressing similar views on risk and responsibility as they did in earlier waves of the survey.

Survey Scale Supports Robust Trend Analysis

With approximately 20,000 respondents annually, the Gambling Survey for Great Britain stands out for its size and focus, which gives regulators and researchers a solid foundation for examining long-term shifts. The methodology incorporates both online and offline sampling to reflect the broader population, and the repeated annual structure enables direct comparisons across 2023, 2024, and 2025. Experts have observed that such large-scale data collection reduces sampling error and allows for more precise breakdowns by age, region, and gambling type, which in turn informs regulatory adjustments.

Support for Policy and Regulation

The report directly feeds into policy development by supplying evidence on how participation and consequences evolve over time. Regulators use these statistics to evaluate the effectiveness of current rules and to plan future measures that address emerging issues while preserving areas that show stability. According to the Gambling Survey for Great Britain Annual Report 2025, the dataset covers behaviours, attitudes, and harms in enough detail to guide targeted interventions without relying on smaller or less frequent studies.

Context of Publication in 2026

Release of the third annual report occurs as the Commission continues its ongoing monitoring work, and the timing aligns with broader efforts to refine regulatory frameworks based on accumulated evidence. The three-year span captured in the findings provides a baseline that extends into mid-2026 discussions around operator standards and consumer protection, ensuring that decisions rest on recent and consistent information rather than outdated snapshots.

Conclusion

The third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain delivers a clear picture of stable participation at 47 percent and problem gambling at 2.4 percent across 2023 to 2025, backed by one of the largest dedicated datasets available. This continuity equips regulators with reliable tools for shaping policy that responds to actual trends rather than isolated fluctuations. The survey's scale and repeated structure position it as a central resource for understanding gambling patterns in Great Britain moving forward.