New figures from the UK Gambling Commission show a troubling pattern: the share of kids in Great Britain seen as problem gamblers has more than doubled in the last year. This rise means about 85,000 young people now fall into this group, based on the DSM-IV-MR-J screening tool.
27% of Students Bet Their Own Cash, with Notable Issues in Scotland
The Ipsos survey, which gathered input from 3,869 students between 11 and 17 years old in England Scotland, and Wales, revealed that 27% of these kids used their own cash to gamble in the past year. Arcade games with money prizes topped the list, with 20% of kids trying them out. The number of young people taking part in age-restricted gambling, not counting things like arcades, went up to 6% from 4% in 2023.
The rise in problem gambling shows up in the 1.5% of young people surveyed who scored 4 or higher on the DSM-IV-MR-J scale, which points to problematic gambling behaviors. Last year 0.7% hit this mark highlighting how serious this year’s results are. What is concerning is that teens aged 14 to 17 and people from Scotland were more likely to have gambling-related problems, with Scotland’s rates reaching as high as 3%.
The report also highlighted how gambling affects young people’s everyday lives. 9% said gambling by family members led to fights at home. Additionally, more young people lied to friends and family because of gambling and stayed up late to gamble. 5% of those asked said their gambling habits hurt their schoolwork, while 2% lost sleep from gambling late at night.
Former Conservative Leader Sounds Alarm on Youth Gambling
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith voiced concern over these findings repeating his long-standing demands for tougher rules, reported The Guardian. He stressed that if the UK government does not act now, these trends could get worse. The government has recognized the possible harms of gambling and promised to look at wide-ranging policies, but critics say more decisive action is needed.
The rise in young people’s exposure to gambling stems from the widespread visibility of gambling ads. Groups like the Coalition to End Gambling Ads claim that non-stop advertising plays a big role in making gambling seem normal to younger viewers.
The newest research points to an urgent need to change policies to protect young people from gambling-related problems. As the government looks at its rules more people are calling for it to focus on keeping youth safe and to take another look at the current system to stop things from getting worse.
