The UK Gambling Commission's 2025 Gambling Survey for Great Britain found that 47% of adults had participated in gambling during the previous four weeks, a headline rate the regulator described as stable across the survey's first three annual datasets.
When respondents who only bought tickets for lottery draws were excluded, the participation estimate was 27%. The Commission published the third annual report on 16 July 2026, creating a comparable 2023-to-2025 series under the survey's current methodology.
Key findings
- 47% of adults reported gambling in the previous four weeks.
- The estimate was 27% after excluding lottery-draw-only participation.
- The PGSI 8+ estimate remained stable at 2.4% in 2025.
- 78% of respondents expressed a positive or neutral view of their own gambling.
- The annual survey samples approximately 20,000 people.
Why people said they gambled
Among participants, 84% selected the chance of winning big money as a reason for gambling. Fun was selected by 69%, making money by 57%, and excitement by 53%. These answers describe respondents' reported motivations; they do not show that gambling is a dependable way to make money.
Commercial gambling has negative expected value for players over time. Survey motivations should therefore be interpreted as attitudes and experiences, not evidence of financial outcomes.
Three years of trend data
The regulator's trends report says the current GSGB design now supports comparisons across 2023, 2024 and 2025. The headline participation measure and PGSI 8+ estimate were described as stable across that period.
Three years provide a stronger baseline than one isolated annual result, but they remain a relatively short time series. Changes within demographic groups or gambling activities need to be read alongside confidence intervals, sample composition and the Commission's technical documentation.
The methodology warning matters
The Gambling Commission explicitly cautions users about comparing GSGB figures with estimates produced by older surveys that used different methods. A change in survey design can change who responds and how questions are answered, so apparently similar percentages from different research programmes are not automatically equivalent.
The Commission also advises against describing the PGSI 8+ figure as a clinical diagnosis or a direct count of every person experiencing gambling harm. It is a survey estimate based on responses to a screening instrument.
CasinOK analysis
The most useful signal in this release is stability, not a dramatic headline movement. Participation and the high PGSI-score estimate did not materially shift in the three-year series, while the survey continues to show that gambling experiences and motivations vary substantially across the population.
For operators and publishers, the findings reinforce the need for clear product information, realistic language and visible safer-gambling tools. Marketing should not frame gambling as income, and editorial coverage should distinguish a chance of winning from a positive financial expectation.
For readers, the practical point is equally direct: use gambling only as paid entertainment, decide spending and time limits in advance, and seek support if control becomes difficult. CasinOK's CasinOK News archive provides further information.
Official sources
- UK Gambling Commission: third annual GSGB announcement
- UK Gambling Commission: GSGB trends report 2023 to 2025
- UK Gambling Commission: guidance on using GSGB statistics
Published: 2 Aug, 2026. This article will be updated if the Commission issues a material correction or revised dataset.
