The latest online gambling statistics UK researchers use come from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) 2025. It found that 37.9% of adults gambled online in the past four weeks and 27.7% gambled in person, but the gap disappears once lottery-only players are removed. This 2026 guide breaks the figures down by age, sex, nation and activity, building on our page on how many people gamble in the UK.
Online vs in-person gambling: the headline figures
The GSGB asks around 20,000 adults in Great Britain which activities they did in the past four weeks and whether they did them online or in person. In 2025, 47.4% had gambled in some way, 37.9% online and 27.7% in person, with many doing both.
In-person gambling covers betting shops, casinos, bingo halls, arcades and buying lottery tickets or scratchcards in shops. Online covers websites and apps, whether run by Gambling Commission licensees or by offshore casinos, since the survey asks about activity rather than operator.
| Past four weeks, 2025 | All gambling | Excluding lottery-draw-only players |
|---|---|---|
| Gambled online | 37.9% | 16.0% |
| Gambled in person | 27.7% | 17.4% |
The National Lottery effect
The online lead is almost entirely down to lottery tickets bought on the internet. In 2025, 25.6% of adults bought National Lottery draw tickets online in the past four weeks, compared with 15.5% who bought them in person.
The Gambling Commission therefore also reports figures excluding people whose only gambling was lottery draws. On that measure, 16.0% gambled online and 17.4% in person, so in-person gambling is slightly more common.
That distinction matters for anyone comparing products. Lottery players give very different reasons from other gamblers, as our guide on why do people gamble shows.
Online gambling participation by age
Gambling by age follows two different patterns. Including lotteries, online gambling peaks among 55 to 64 year olds at 45.8%, but excluding lottery-only players the peak shifts to 25 to 34 year olds at 21.7%.
| Age, 2025 | Online | Online excl. lottery-only | In person | In person excl. lottery-only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 23.4% | 19.7% | 20.4% | 17.9% |
| 25 to 34 | 33.9% | 21.7% | 24.2% | 20.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 40.7% | 21.2% | 27.9% | 21.4% |
| 45 to 54 | 43.9% | 17.7% | 30.5% | 19.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 45.8% | 13.4% | 30.8% | 15.0% |
| 65 to 74 | 38.9% | 8.2% | 31.0% | 13.7% |
| 75 plus | 30.9% | 5.1% | 27.1% | 10.5% |
Older adults are online lottery players rather than online casino or betting customers. Among those aged 75 and over, 30.9% gambled online but only 5.1% did so on anything other than lottery draws.
Young adults are the reverse. Among 18 to 24 year olds, 19.7% gambled online excluding lottery-only players, close to their overall online figure of 23.4%. The survey’s online questions cover any website or app, from GB-licensed brands to European online casinos.
Online and in-person gambling by sex
Men are more likely than women to gamble online: 41.7% against 34.4% including lotteries, and 20.1% against 12.1% excluding lottery-only players. The highest online figure in any group is among men aged 25 to 34, 28.3% of whom gambled online on something other than lottery draws.
In-person gambling is much more even. Excluding lottery-only players, 17.6% of men and 17.3% of women gambled in person, and bingo was more common among women (5.7%) than men (3.2%).
Online gambling statistics UK by nation and region
Wales had the highest in-person rate of the three nations at 33.7%, against 29.6% in Scotland and 27.2% in England. Online rates were closer: 40.5% in Wales, 39.7% in Scotland and 37.6% in England.
Excluding lottery-only players, Scotland had 16.9% online and 18.4% in person; our guide to gambling in Scotland covers Scottish habits in more detail. London had the lowest rates in Britain, 27.8% online and 20.3% in person.
Within England, the North East had the highest online rate excluding lottery-only players at 20.6%, and the West Midlands the highest in-person rate at 32.7%. An older regional series is covered in gambling by region England, using the Health Survey for England 2024.
Which activities happen online and in person
Some activities have moved largely online, others remain mostly face to face. Sports betting is the clearest online case: 8.4% of adults bet on sports or racing online or via an app, against 3.1% in person.
| Activity, past four weeks, 2025 | Online | In person |
|---|---|---|
| National Lottery draw tickets | 25.6% | 15.5% |
| Other charity lottery tickets | 14.5% | 5.7% |
| Betting on sports and racing | 8.4% | 3.1% |
| Fruit and slots games | 3.3% | 3.2% |
| Casino games | 2.6% | 1.3% (at a casino) |
| Bingo | 2.2% | 3.3% |
Scratchcards were bought by 12.2% of adults, mostly National Lottery cards (11.0%), while 7.9% played online instant win games. Of the activities split by channel in the table, bingo is the only one more common in a venue than online.
Online sports betting is concentrated among men, at 13.3% against 3.8% of women. The survey counts bets with GB-licensed bookmakers and with betting sites outside the GamStop scheme in the same way.
How to read the figures
The GSGB uses a push-to-web method, with postal invitations to complete the survey online or on paper. Its estimates are not comparable with older gambling or health surveys, and are a snapshot of the past four weeks rather than a full year.
- Online and in-person groups overlap: many people do both.
- State whether lottery-only players are included.
- Regional bases are smaller, so small gaps may not be significant.
- The survey measures people, not money staked or lost.
Because it asks about activities, the GSGB cannot split online play between licensed operators and non-UK casino sites. Operator data published by the Gambling Commission covers only licensed firms.
FAQ: online and in-person gambling
Quick answers from the GSGB 2025 annual report.
What share of UK adults gamble online?
37.9% of adults in Great Britain gambled online in the past four weeks in 2025, or 16.0% excluding people who only played lottery draws.
Is online gambling more popular than in-person gambling?
Only because of online lottery tickets. Excluding lottery-only players, 17.4% gambled in person and 16.0% online.
Which age group gambles online most?
Including lotteries, 55 to 64 year olds (45.8%). Excluding lottery-only players, 25 to 34 year olds (21.7%).
Is sports betting mostly online?
Yes. 8.4% of adults bet on sports or racing online in 2025, against 3.1% in person.
GSGB 2025: 20,775 adults aged 18 and over in Great Britain, fieldwork 13 January 2025 to 22 January 2026; participation refers to the past four weeks. “Excluding lottery-draw-only players” removes people whose only gambling was National Lottery or other charity lottery draws. Weighted estimates with margins of error.
- Gambling Commission, Gambling Survey for Great Britain, Annual Report 2025, published 16 July 2026, tables B.5 to B.10.
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