The latest problem gambling statistics UK researchers rely on come from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), which questioned 20,775 adults across 2025. It found that 2.4% of all adults scored 8 or more on the PGSI, the level classed as problem gambling, and 13.6% scored 1 or more. This 2026 guide explains the scores alongside our overview of how many people gamble in the UK.
What the PGSI measures
The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is a set of nine questions about the past 12 months. They cover behaviours such as betting more than you can afford, chasing losses and borrowing money to gamble, and consequences such as feeling guilty or suffering health problems.
Each answer scores from 0 for “never” to 3 for “almost always”, so totals run from 0 to 27. The PGSI score meaning depends on the band: 0 is no problems, 1 or 2 is low risk, 3 to 7 is moderate risk and 8 to 27 is problem gambling.
A high score is a survey screen, not a medical diagnosis. It flags people likely to be experiencing harm, and the Gambling Commission reports the bands as estimates with confidence intervals.
The GSGB is run for the Gambling Commission by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) with the University of Glasgow. Fieldwork for the 2025 annual report ran from 13 January 2025 to 22 January 2026, and the results were published on 16 July 2026.
Problem gambling statistics UK: headline rates for 2025
Across all adults in Great Britain, 41.1% had not gambled in the past 12 months and 45.3% had gambled with a PGSI score of 0. The remaining 13.6% showed at least some sign of risk.
| PGSI band, 2025 | All adults | Adults who gambled in past 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Did not gamble | 41.1% | n/a |
| Score 0 | 45.3% | 76.9% |
| Score 1-2 (low risk) | 7.8% | 13.2% |
| Score 3-7 (moderate risk) | 3.5% | 5.9% |
| Score 8-27 (problem gambling) | 2.4% | 4.0% |
Moderate risk gambling (a score of 3 to 7) covered 3.5% of all adults and 5.9% of those who gambled. When people who only played lottery draws are excluded, 5.6% of the remaining gamblers scored 8 or more.
Rates were similar across the three nations. A score of 8 or more applied to 2.4% of adults in England, 2.2% in Scotland and 1.7% in Wales, differences that are within the survey’s margins of error.
These are percentages of people, not of money spent. The size of the market those people play in is covered in our UK gambling industry statistics.
Problem gambling by age and sex
Problem gambling by age shows a steep gradient. Among all adults, 5.0% of 18 to 24 year olds and 4.6% of 25 to 34 year olds scored 8 or more, against 0.9% of 55 to 64 year olds and 0.4% of those aged 65 and over.
Among young adults who gambled, only 56.5% of 18 to 24 year olds scored 0, compared with 92.6% of gamblers aged 75 and over. Younger people also gamble less often overall: 52.1% of 18 to 24 year olds had not gambled at all in the past year.
Men who gambled were about twice as likely as women to score 8 or more (5.3% against 2.7%). Among all adults the figures were 3.2% for men and 1.6% for women.
The survey covers adults only. Separate figures for 11 to 17 year olds, measured with a different screen, are in our guide to young people and gambling.
PGSI scores by gambling activity
The GSGB also shows the PGSI spread among people who took part in each activity. Because most people who gamble do several things, these figures overlap and should not be read as the risk of any single product.
Online slots players had a high share in the problem gambling band (21.3%), one reason the government introduced online slots stake limits in 2025. Betting in person on non-sports events showed 40.4%, but that estimate rests on just 193 respondents.
The number of activities matters more than any single one. A score of 8 or more applied to 1.2% of people who did one activity, 1.7% of those who did two or three, 6.2% of those who did four to six and 28.4% of those who did seven or more.
The survey asks about activities, not operators. It cannot separate play with GB-licensed firms from play at crypto casinos or other sites outside the Commission’s licensing system.
Severe consequences: gambling harm statistics
Beyond the PGSI, the GSGB asks directly about serious harms caused by a person’s own gambling. These gambling harm statistics cover the past 12 months and only people who gambled.
In 2025, 2.7% of past-year gamblers reported at least one severe consequence. That included 1.7% whose relationship with someone close broke down, 1.1% who experienced violence or abuse, 1.1% who lost something of significant financial value and 0.9% who committed a crime to fund gambling or pay debts.
The rate was 3.5% for men and 1.8% for women, and it fell sharply with age: 5.5% of 18 to 34 year olds who gambled, against 0.7% of those aged 55 and over. Among people scoring 8 or more on the PGSI, 46.3% reported at least one severe consequence, including 34.3% with a relationship breakdown.
| Severe consequence, 2025 | All who gambled | PGSI 8+ |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship breakdown | 1.7% | 34.3% |
| Lost something of financial value | 1.1% | 21.9% |
| Violence or abuse | 1.1% | 21.3% |
| Committed a crime | 0.9% | 18.8% |
| Any severe consequence | 2.7% | 46.3% |
The survey also asks about suicidal thoughts and attempts. Among people who gambled and reported them in the past year, 7.1% said they were related at least a little to their own gambling.
Help-seeking and support
Most people experiencing problems do not seek help. Only 3.4% of past-year gamblers sought help, support or information because of their own gambling, rising to 6.5% among 18 to 34 year olds.
The share rises with the PGSI score. Among those scoring 8 or more, 47.3% had sought some form of support, including 28.1% from mental health services and 27.8% from gambling support services.
Help is free and confidential. Treatment is available through the NHS and through the National Gambling Support Network, which includes the National Gambling Helpline run by GamCare.
How to read the numbers
The GSGB uses a push-to-web approach, inviting households by post to take part online. The Commission warns that its estimates are not directly comparable with earlier gambling or health surveys, such as the Health Survey for England, and should not be used to judge trends against them.
Other surveys produce different results again. GambleAware’s 2024 Treatment and Support study, run by YouGov, put the share of adults with a PGSI score of 1 or more at 16%, using an online panel rather than a random sample.
Each survey has strengths and limits, so trends are best followed within one series. The figures also cover only Great Britain’s adult population, whichever operators people use, including European online casinos.
Licensing rules shape the tools available to someone trying to cut back. GamStop self-exclusion and Commission safer gambling duties cover GB licensees, not non-UK casino sites regulated elsewhere.
FAQ: problem gambling in the UK
Quick answers from the GSGB 2025 annual report.
How many people have a gambling problem in the UK?
The GSGB estimated that 2.4% of adults in Great Britain scored 8 or more on the PGSI in 2025, and 13.6% scored 1 or more.
What does a PGSI score of 8 mean?
A score of 8 to 27 is the problem gambling band. It indicates gambling with negative consequences and a possible loss of control, but it is a screening result, not a diagnosis.
What is moderate risk gambling?
A PGSI score of 3 to 7. In 2025 it covered 3.5% of all adults in Great Britain.
Which age group has the highest problem gambling rate?
Adults aged 18 to 24. Among those who gambled, 10.4% scored 8 or more in 2025.
Where can I get help?
BeGambleAware, GamCare and the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) offer free, confidential support, and the NHS runs specialist gambling clinics.
GSGB 2025: 20,775 adults aged 18 and over in Great Britain, fieldwork 13 January 2025 to 22 January 2026. Percentages are weighted survey estimates with margins of error. GSGB figures are not comparable with the Health Survey for England or with GambleAware’s YouGov study.
- Gambling Commission, Gambling Survey for Great Britain, Annual Report 2025, published 16 July 2026, tables D.4 to D.7, D.11, D.12, D.14 to D.16.
- GambleAware, Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey 2024 (YouGov).
Responsible Gambling in the UK
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