Gambling - Young People and Gambling Report released

The Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling Report - a newly released report - indicates that 450,000 children are gambling in England and Wales every week and also is said to show that around 9,000 of these are likely to be problem gamblers. 

The findings indicate that ‘the overall rate of gambling among 11-15 year olds is around 16%. This figure compares to 5% of 11-15 year olds who have smoked and 8% who have drunk alcohol in the last week, while 6% have taken drugs in the last month’. 

Headline findings include: 

• The overall rate of gambling among 11-15 year olds has remained relatively static over time, whilst smoking, drinking alcohol and drug taking has seen a decline.  
• The proportion of 12-15 year olds classified as problem gamblers is 0.4%, a similar figure to the previous year. 
• Gambling in the week prior to taking part in the study was twice as prevalent among boys (21%) than among girls (11%). 
• 75% of 11-15 year olds have seen gambling advertisements on TV and 63% have seen these on social media websites. 
• Of those surveyed, almost 60% agreed that ‘gambling is dangerous’. 
• The most popular forms of gambling continue to be fruit machines, placing a private bet with friends and National Lottery scratch cards.  
• 8% of 11-15 year olds had gambled on a commercial premises in the last week, including betting shops, bingo halls and arcades. 
• Of those who played the National Lottery, the tickets/scratch cards were typically purchased by a parent/guardian. 
• 3% of 11-15 year olds have at some point spent their own money on online gambling
• 6% have at some point gambled online using their parents’ accounts (either with or without permission). 

The full report is available here:'Gambling Commission: Young People and Gambling 2016'