New survey data on gambling and deprivation show a clear gap in England. In the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) 2025, 4.5% of adults in England’s most deprived fifth of areas scored 8 or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), against 1.2% in the least deprived fifth. This 2026 guide sets out the figures for England, Scotland and Wales and what they cannot show.
What deprivation quintiles are
Each nation ranks its small neighbourhoods by deprivation, combining measures such as income, employment, health, education and crime. England uses the Index of Multiple Deprivation, Scotland the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) and Wales the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (Welsh IMD).
The GSGB’s Index of Multiple Deprivation gambling tables place every respondent in one of five equal groups, or quintiles, from the most deprived 20% of areas to the least deprived 20%. The Gambling Commission publishes the results separately for each nation because the three indices are built differently and cannot be compared directly.
The measure describes the area a person lives in, not their own income. Plenty of people on low incomes live in less deprived areas and the reverse is also true.
The PGSI bands used
The PGSI is nine questions about the past 12 months, scored from 0 to 27. A score of 1 or 2 is low risk, 3 to 7 is moderate risk and 8 or more is classed as problem gambling.
The deprivation tables show the share of all adults in each band, including people who did not gamble at all. That makes them a measure of how common gambling problems are in each type of area, not how risky gambling is for people who take part. Fuller national figures are in our problem gambling statistics UK guide.
England: a clear gradient
England has by far the largest sample, and its figures show a steady rise in problem gambling as deprivation increases. The share scoring 8 or more falls from 4.5% in the most deprived quintile to 1.2% in the least deprived.
| England IMD quintile, 2025 | Did not gamble | PGSI 0 | PGSI 1-2 | PGSI 3-7 | PGSI 8+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most deprived 20% | 40.3% | 41.4% | 8.8% | 4.9% | 4.5% |
| 2nd | 40.3% | 43.9% | 8.8% | 4.2% | 2.8% |
| 3rd | 40.2% | 47.3% | 7.0% | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| 4th | 42.7% | 46.1% | 7.1% | 2.7% | 1.4% |
| Least deprived 20% | 43.9% | 45.9% | 6.8% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| All England | 41.5% | 45.0% | 7.7% | 3.5% | 2.4% |
Participation itself differs much less. By our calculation 59.7% of adults in the most deprived areas had gambled in the past year, compared with 56.1% in the least deprived.
The difference lies in the harm scores. Adding the three risk bands, 18.2% of adults in the most deprived quintile had a PGSI score of 1 or more, against 10.2% in the least deprived, by our calculation.
Scotland: SIMD gambling figures
Scotland’s results do not show the same simple pattern. The share scoring 8 or more ranges from 1.3% to 4.6%, with the highest figure in the second most deprived quintile rather than the most deprived.
Low-risk gambling (a score of 1 or 2) was highest in Scotland’s most deprived areas, at 12.1% against 8.2% in the least deprived. Across Scotland as a whole, 2.2% scored 8 or more.
Each Scottish quintile rests on only 274 to 469 respondents, so differences of a few percentage points are within the margin of error. Scotland also has the highest share of adults who say someone close gambles (48.3%), covered in our guide to affected others gambling.
Wales: small samples
Wales has the smallest sample, 1,089 adults in this table. In its most deprived quintile 5.8% scored 8 or more, but that estimate is based on only 132 respondents.
In the two least deprived Welsh quintiles, the problem gambling cell is shown as “-” in the published table rather than as an estimate. Wales overall recorded 1.7% with a score of 8 or more in 2025.
Welsh results are best treated as indicative. Surveys measure residents, whether they gamble with licensed firms or with European online casinos that the Gambling Commission does not license.
Gambling and deprivation: what the data cannot tell us
The tables show an association, not a cause. Higher problem gambling rates in deprived areas could reflect many factors, including age profiles, health, local gambling venues or debt, and the survey does not separate them.
- Area deprivation is not personal poverty.
- Scottish and Welsh quintiles have small bases.
- Nations use different indices and cannot be compared.
- PGSI scores are a screen, not a diagnosis.
- The data are a single year of a new survey series.
Links between gambling harm poverty and wider costs are explored in our article on the cost of gambling harm. The GSGB also cannot show which operators people used, whether licensed or non-UK casino sites.
Why the gradient matters for support
If gambling problems cluster in deprived areas, support needs to reach them. Treatment through the NHS and the National Gambling Support Network is free, and our guide to gambling treatment UK explains how it is organised.
Money pressures can make gambling harm worse, whether someone gambles with licensed operators or with crypto casinos outside the Gambling Commission’s licensing. Free debt advice can sit alongside treatment.
FAQ: gambling and deprivation
Quick answers from the GSGB 2025 annual report.
Is problem gambling more common in deprived areas?
In England, yes: 4.5% of adults in the most deprived fifth of areas scored 8 or more on the PGSI in 2025, against 1.2% in the least deprived.
Do people in deprived areas gamble more often?
Only slightly. In England 59.7% in the most deprived areas gambled in the past year, against 56.1% in the least deprived (our calculation).
What about Scotland?
Scotland shows no simple gradient, and small samples per quintile make differences uncertain.
Does deprivation cause gambling problems?
The survey cannot say. It shows an association between area deprivation and PGSI scores, not a cause.
GSGB 2025: adults aged 18 and over, fieldwork 13 January 2025 to 22 January 2026. Bases: England 17,641, Scotland 1,864 and Wales 1,089 adults who completed the PGSI. Shares are of all adults in each quintile; “-” means the cell was not shown. Totals of risk bands and participation are our calculations from the published shares.
- Gambling Commission, Gambling Survey for Great Britain, Annual Report 2025, published 16 July 2026, tables D.8, D.9 and D.10.
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