Third Annual Report from Gambling Survey for Great Britain Provides Fresh Data on Participation Patterns and Steady Problem Gambling Rates

The Gambling Commission has released the third annual report drawn from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, and this edition covers official statistics collected throughout 2025. Researchers gathered responses from 20,775 adults to map participation levels, behavioural trends, attitudes toward gambling, and rates of problem gambling, which creates the first set of three comparable years of trend data since the survey began. The National Centre for Social Research worked alongside the University of Glasgow to carry out the fieldwork and analysis, which delivers nationally representative figures that regulators and policymakers can track over time.

Survey Scope and Data Collection Approach

People who study gambling behaviours note that the GSGB uses a structured methodology to capture both online and land-based activity across Great Britain. The 2025 wave maintained consistent questioning on frequency of play, preferred formats, and spending patterns, while also probing attitudes such as perceived risks and social norms around gambling. Because the same core measures have now run for three consecutive years, analysts gain the ability to identify whether participation has shifted or remained stable across demographic groups.

Key Participation and Behavioural Findings

Figures reveal that overall engagement with gambling activities stayed consistent with prior waves, although certain remote formats continued to draw steady interest among adults. Respondents reported on a range of products including lotteries, casino games, sports betting, and gaming machines, while the survey also recorded how often individuals combined multiple activities within a single session. Attitudes data showed that most participants viewed gambling as an occasional leisure pursuit rather than a primary source of income, yet a notable minority expressed concern about the pace at which some products encourage repeated play.

Problem Gambling Prevalence Remains Unchanged

Problem gambling prevalence, measured by a PGSI score of 8 or higher, held steady at 2.4 percent in the latest results. This rate matches the level recorded in the previous two annual reports, which gives observers the first opportunity to examine whether the indicator has begun to trend upward or downward over a multi-year period. The stability occurs even as the survey captures responses from a large, randomly selected sample that reflects the broader adult population in Great Britain.

Three Years of Comparable Trend Data Now Available

With the release of the 2025 report, three years of comparable trend data exist for the first time. Experts point out that longitudinal consistency matters because single-year snapshots can fluctuate due to sampling variation or external events, whereas repeated measures allow researchers to separate short-term noise from longer-term patterns. The collaboration between the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow helped maintain methodological rigour across waves, including weighting procedures that align the sample with census benchmarks on age, gender, and region.

Official Release and Data Accessibility

The Gambling Commission published the full Gambling Survey for Great Britain (Annual Report 2025) – Official Statistics on its website, making the underlying tables and technical documentation available for independent review. Stakeholders ranging from treatment providers to academic teams can now download the datasets to conduct secondary analyses on subgroups or specific product categories. The report also includes breakdowns by demographic characteristics, which helps identify whether certain age bands or income groups show different participation profiles or problem gambling scores.

Looking Ahead to Future Waves

Future iterations of the survey are expected to retain the core PGSI module while potentially adding questions on emerging product features such as in-play betting interfaces or loot-box mechanics. Because the current three-year baseline already exists, any new items can be tracked from their introduction onward without losing the ability to compare against established measures. Regulators have indicated that the GSGB will continue to serve as the primary source for official statistics on gambling prevalence in Great Britain, complementing industry returns and treatment-service data.

Conclusion

The third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain delivers a clear picture of steady problem gambling prevalence at 2.4 percent alongside consistent participation patterns across 2025. With three years of comparable data now in hand, researchers and policymakers gain a stronger foundation for monitoring change, and the collaborative effort between the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow ensures the figures remain robust. The release reinforces the role of the GSGB as the authoritative source for tracking gambling behaviours and attitudes in Great Britain over time.