Why do people gamble in Britain? The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) asked 12,089 adults who had gambled in the past year, and in 2025 84.1% said they took part for the chance of winning big money, with fun second at 69.3%. This 2026 guide sets the reasons for gambling beside our figures on how many people gamble in the UK.
The question the GSGB asks
The GSGB is the Gambling Commission’s main survey of adult gambling. It is carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) with the University of Glasgow, and the 2025 annual report was published on 16 July 2026.
People who had gambled in the past 12 months were shown 15 statements beginning “I take part in these activities…”. For each one they said how often it applied, and the published share counts anyone who answered sometimes, often or always.
Because every statement is answered separately, the shares do not add up to 100%. Most people give several reasons, so the results show how common each motive is rather than a single main reason.
Why do people gamble? The top reasons in 2025
Two motives stand far above the rest: the chance of a big win and enjoyment. Excitement, making money and the sense of achievement from winning follow.
Further down the list, 20.8% said they take part because they worry about not winning if they don’t play. Another 19.8% mentioned the mental challenge or learning about the game.
The least common reasons were coping and status motives. Gambling because it helps when feeling tense was cited by 11.1%, competing with others by 9.6% and impressing other people by 7.1%.
These are reasons given by individuals, not a measure of spending. How much money flows through the regulated market is covered in our UK gambling industry statistics.
Money motives in the survey
For anyone looking for gambling to win money survey evidence, the GSGB is clear that money motives are common. Winning big money (84.1%) and making money (57.1%) both rank in the top three.
The two statements are not the same. Hoping for a large but unlikely prize differs from expecting a profit, and the house edge built into almost every product works against profit over time.
The survey does not say where people place their bets. Its respondents may use GB-licensed firms or offshore casinos licensed abroad, and money motives are recorded the same way for both.
Reasons for gambling by age and sex
Younger adults give more reasons of almost every kind. Among 18 to 24 year olds who gambled, 83.2% said gambling for fun was a reason, compared with 53.2% of those aged 75 and over.
| Reason, 2025 | 18 to 24 | 35 to 44 | 55 to 64 | 75 plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chance of winning big money | 76.1% | 88.1% | 88.0% | 73.4% |
| Because it’s fun | 83.2% | 75.0% | 64.0% | 53.2% |
| Because it’s exciting | 69.3% | 62.4% | 43.5% | 29.4% |
| To make money | 60.0% | 60.7% | 55.5% | 43.8% |
| With friends or family | 57.2% | 36.4% | 25.8% | 26.3% |
| To be sociable | 44.5% | 26.6% | 15.2% | 16.3% |
| To compete with others | 24.7% | 10.9% | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| To impress other people | 17.9% | 8.4% | 2.8% | 3.0% |
Social reasons are strongest among the young: 57.2% of 18 to 24 year olds gamble with friends or family and 44.5% to be sociable. Winning big money peaks in middle age, at 88.1% of 35 to 44 year olds.
Men cite most motives more often than women. The gap is widest for competing with others (13.2% against 5.9%) and impressing people (10.0% against 4.2%), while big-money hopes are almost level at 84.6% and 83.7%.
The table records motives only. It does not show whether younger people use Commission licensees or European online casinos that sit outside British licensing.
Scotland, England and Wales compared
Reasons barely differ between the three nations. The chance of winning big money was cited by 83.9% in England, 84.4% in Scotland and 87.6% in Wales.
| Reason, 2025 | England | Scotland | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chance of winning big money | 83.9% | 84.4% | 87.6% |
| Because it’s fun | 69.7% | 68.4% | 63.7% |
| To make money | 57.0% | 57.4% | 58.9% |
| Because it’s exciting | 53.2% | 54.7% | 48.8% |
| To escape boredom | 21.4% | 23.0% | 18.8% |
The Welsh and Scottish bases are much smaller (667 and 1,121 respondents who gambled), so small gaps may not be statistically significant. More on Scottish habits is in our guide to gambling in Scotland.
For regional patterns inside England, a different survey series is needed. Our page on gambling by region England uses the Health Survey for England 2024, which is not comparable with the GSGB.
How people feel about gambling
The GSGB also asked people who gambled to rate gambling from 0 (“hated it”) to 10 (“loved it”). The mean score in 2025 was 5.4, and the single most common answer was the midpoint of 5, chosen by 36.1%.
By our calculation 42.0% gave a positive score of 6 to 10, and 22.0% a negative score of 0 to 4. Only 4.2% chose 10, while 5.3% chose 0.
Excluding people who only played lottery draws, the mean rises to 5.6, suggesting regular players of other products feel a little warmer about it. Feelings are recorded about gambling in general, whether with licensed firms or non-UK casino sites.
Gambling and other leisure activities
Table C.1 compares the leisure habits of people who gambled in the past four weeks with all adults. Gamblers were more likely to watch live sport (54.6% against 47.8%) and to go to pubs, bars or clubs (59.2% against 54.2%).
The gap widens when lottery-only players are removed: 58.5% of that group watched live sport and 45.1% played computer or video games, compared with 36.5% of all adults. Volunteering was less common among people who gambled (18.9% against 21.8%).
Its activity questions cover sports bets placed with GB-licensed bookmakers and with betting sites outside the GamStop scheme alike. The survey shows association only, not that one activity causes another.
FAQ: why people gamble
Quick answers from the GSGB 2025 annual report.
What is the most common reason for gambling in the UK?
The chance of winning big money, cited by 84.1% of adults in Great Britain who gambled in the past 12 months (GSGB 2025).
Do people gamble for fun?
Yes. 69.3% said fun was a reason, rising to 83.2% among 18 to 24 year olds.
How many people gamble to make money?
57.1% of past-year gamblers said making money was sometimes, often or always a reason in 2025.
Do the percentages add up to 100?
No. Each statement is answered separately and most people give several reasons.
Who runs the survey?
NatCen and the University of Glasgow, for the Gambling Commission. GSGB figures are official statistics.
GSGB 2025: adults aged 18 and over in Great Britain, fieldwork 13 January 2025 to 22 January 2026. Reasons are self-reported by 12,089 people who gambled in the past 12 months and are multiple-response, so shares do not sum to 100%. Figures are weighted estimates with margins of error and are not comparable with the Health Survey for England.
- Gambling Commission, Gambling Survey for Great Britain, Annual Report 2025, published 16 July 2026, tables C.1, C.2 and C.3.
Responsible Gambling in the UK
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