UK Gambling Commission Releases Third Annual Gambling Survey Report for 2025

The Gambling Commission published the third annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain on 16 July 2026, delivering official statistics that cover gambling participation, behaviours, attitudes, and harms across the country for the 2025 period. This release marks a milestone because it supplies the first set of three consecutive years of comparable official data spanning 2023 through 2025, and the figures show stable trends with the problem gambling rate holding steady at 2.4 percent based on a PGSI score of 8 or higher.

Data collection relied on a large-scale push-to-web survey that reached 20,775 adults across four quarterly waves, with fieldwork running from January 2025 through January 2026. Those who designed the approach selected push-to-web methods to improve response rates while maintaining consistency with prior waves, which allows direct year-over-year comparisons without methodological breaks.

Survey Methodology and Scope

Researchers structured the project around quarterly waves so seasonal variations in gambling activity could surface naturally, and the push-to-web format invited participants via postal invitations that directed them to an online questionnaire. This combination produced a robust sample size that supports national estimates, while the consistent design across three years gives analysts reliable baselines for tracking changes in participation rates and harm indicators.

The survey captured responses on a wide range of topics including frequency of play, preferred gambling formats, attitudes toward industry practices, and self-reported experiences of harm. Because the same core questions appeared in each annual wave, statisticians could calculate comparable problem gambling prevalence figures without adjusting for shifts in question wording or sampling frames.

Key Findings on Participation and Problem Gambling Rates

Figures reveal that overall participation levels remained consistent with the patterns observed in 2023 and 2024, while the problem gambling rate stayed fixed at 2.4 percent. Observers note this stability suggests that the underlying drivers of gambling behaviour have not shifted dramatically during the three-year window, even as regulatory measures and market offerings continued to evolve.

Breakdowns within the data show differences across demographic groups, yet the headline problem gambling indicator did not move outside the margin of error established in earlier reports. Those who reviewed the numbers point out that the absence of significant change provides a clear reference point for future monitoring, especially once additional years of data become available.

Attitudes, Behaviours, and Reported Harms

Responses indicated steady attitudes toward gambling regulation and industry responsibility, with most participants expressing similar views on advertising standards and consumer protections as in previous waves. Behavioural questions covered online versus land-based activity, and the results aligned closely with 2024 patterns rather than showing abrupt shifts toward one channel or another.

Harms reported by respondents included financial strain, relationship difficulties, and emotional impacts, yet the overall prevalence of these experiences tracked the stable problem gambling rate. Experts who examined the cross-tabulations found that individuals scoring 8 or higher on the PGSI continued to account for the majority of severe harm cases, reinforcing the utility of that threshold as a monitoring tool.

Significance of Three Years of Comparable Data

Having three consecutive years of aligned statistics allows researchers to distinguish short-term fluctuations from longer-term trends, and the current report establishes that the 2.4 percent problem gambling rate has not deviated across the full period. This consistency matters because it supplies a factual baseline against which future policy changes or market developments can be measured.

Analysts at the Gambling Commission have emphasised that the push-to-web methodology and quarterly structure reduce seasonal bias and improve the precision of national estimates, and the 2025 report confirms these design choices continue to deliver reliable outputs. The publication therefore functions as both an update on current conditions and a foundation for ongoing surveillance of gambling behaviours in Great Britain.

Conclusion

The third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain report, released on 16 July 2026, supplies the first three-year comparable dataset and documents stable participation levels alongside a steady 2.4 percent problem gambling rate. With its large sample and consistent methodology, the survey offers a factual reference point for tracking gambling behaviours, attitudes, and harms into future years. Gambling Survey for Great Britain (Annual Report 2025): Official statistics remains the primary source for these figures.