UK Gambling Commission Issues Third Annual GSGB Report With Three Years of Trend Data

The UK Gambling Commission has released its third annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, drawing on responses collected from approximately 20,775 adults throughout 2025. This latest edition marks the first time officials can draw on three full years of comparable data tracking participation, behaviour, attitudes, and harms across the population. The figures arrive in August 2026 and cover activity through the end of the previous calendar year, giving regulators and researchers a clearer picture of how gambling patterns have held or shifted since the survey methodology was standardised. Data shows that problem gambling rates, measured by a PGSI score of 8 or higher, remained steady at 2.4 percent. At the same time 47 percent of adults reported taking part in some form of gambling in the four weeks before they completed the questionnaire. These headline numbers sit alongside detailed breakdowns on how often people gamble, which products they choose, and how attitudes toward risk and harm have evolved over the three-year window.

Survey Design and Scope

The Gambling Survey for Great Britain uses a large-scale, nationally representative sample to produce official statistics that can be compared year on year. Researchers collected the 2025 responses through a combination of online and postal methods, ensuring coverage across different age groups, regions, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Because the same core questions have now been asked for three consecutive years, analysts can identify genuine trends rather than changes caused by shifts in survey design.

Officials have noted that the consistent approach allows direct comparison of participation rates, gambling frequency, and reported harms without the need for complex adjustments. The 20,775 completed responses provide a robust base for national estimates, and the commission has published full methodology notes alongside the headline findings.

Participation and Behaviour Findings

Forty-seven percent of adults gambled in the past four weeks, a figure that has remained within a narrow range across the three reporting periods. The survey captures both online and land-based activity, including lotteries, sports betting, casino games, and gaming machines. Participation varies by product type, with lottery draws continuing to draw the largest share of players while online slots and in-play betting show different frequency patterns among regular participants.

Behavioural questions explore how often people gamble, how much time they spend, and whether they set limits or use account features such as deposit caps. The three-year dataset reveals that the proportion of adults who gamble at least once a week has stayed broadly stable, while occasional participation accounts for most of the overall figure. Researchers have also tracked changes in the use of safer gambling tools, noting gradual increases in the number of accounts that have activated at least one limit-setting option.

Problem Gambling Rates and Harms

The problem gambling rate, defined as a PGSI score of 8 or above, held at 2.4 percent across the three years of comparable data. Moderate-risk gambling, captured by scores between 3 and 7, also showed little movement. The survey collects self-reported information on financial, emotional, and relationship harms, allowing the commission to monitor whether those who score higher on the PGSI experience measurable negative impacts.

Attitude questions probe public perceptions of gambling risk, industry responsibility, and the effectiveness of current protections. Responses indicate that awareness of gambling harms has remained high, while views on the adequacy of existing safeguards have shown only modest shifts. The commission publishes these attitude measures alongside participation and harm statistics so that any future policy changes can be evaluated against a consistent baseline.

Trend Data Across Three Years

Because the 2025 report completes the first three-year series, analysts can now examine whether early fluctuations represented genuine change or normal variation. The stability in both the 2.4 percent problem gambling rate and the 47 percent past-four-week participation rate suggests that broad population-level patterns have not moved sharply. Sub-group analysis by age, gender, and region continues to show differences, with younger adults and certain demographic groups displaying higher rates of online participation and, in some cases, elevated PGSI scores.

The commission has made the full dataset available for further research, including breakdowns by individual product type and detailed harm indicators. External academics and public health bodies have already begun requesting access to explore specific questions around gambling and mental health, gambling and debt, and the effectiveness of current harm-minimisation measures.

Conclusion

The third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain report supplies the first extended run of official trend data since the survey was redesigned for comparability. With problem gambling rates holding at 2.4 percent and past-four-week participation at 47 percent, the figures provide a steady reference point for future monitoring. The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (Annual Report 2025): Official statistics remain available on the commission website for anyone seeking the complete tables and methodology documentation.