Gambling Commission First In Depth Talks with Young People on Gambling

The Gambling Commission has published a report on a recent qualitative study which sheds light on the complex relationship young people have with gambling.

The report was commissioned by Lauren Cole, Research and Impact Manager, and conducted by 2CV. Gambling and its impact on young people has been in the news of late with regulators and operators including online casinos working towards reducing gambling harms.

First in-depth Conversation with Young People About Gambling Experiences

Cole said: “This is the first time we have spoken to young people in depth about their experiences and perceptions of gambling and the findings have really highlighted just how complex a topic this is for young people.”

This recent research focuses on individuals aged 11 to 17, aiming to contextualize the annual Young People and Gambling Survey findings.

The report reveals that while young people are frequently exposed to gambling, they often do not fully recognize its implications or acknowledge the risks involved.

Cole said: “Many associate gambling primarily with spending money rather than viewing it as a game of chance. For instance, they differentiate between arcade games and gambling based on parental supervision and the amounts of money involved.”

The Gambling Commission also published the Young People and Gambling 2023: Official statistics. The report produced by Ipsos focused on young people and their gambling behaviour, attitudes and awareness in 2023.

Some Key Facts included:

Just over one quarter (26 percent) of 11 to 17 year olds had spent their own money on any gambling activity in the twelve months prior to completing the survey. This represented a 5 percentage point decrease in active participation in gambling compared with rates observed in 2022.

The most common types of gambling activity that young people spent their own money on were legal or did not feature age restricted products, namely:

•    playing arcade gaming machines such as penny pusher or claw grab machines (19 percent)

•    placing a bet for money between friends or family (11 percent)

•    playing cards with friends or family for money (5 percent).

Gambling and Video Games can Blur Lines

There cannot be many families in the UK where the younger residents in the home play some form of video game. Concerns have always been prevalent regarding some of the shoot-em-up games and gambling. Cole said: “Parents must also consider the rise of unsupervised online gambling-like experiences, particularly through video games such as Grand Theft Auto, which can blur the lines for young users.

The research highlighted some gender disparities, for example, boys are three times more likely to experience problem gambling compared to girls, driven in part by their engagement with gaming and exposure to gambling advertisements, especially related to football.

Parents Facilitated Access to Online Betting Accounts

One of the surprise findings is that many young boys report that their parents sometimes facilitate their access to online betting accounts.

The research also suggests that despite their exposure, the majority of young respondents lack a clear understanding of the potential harms of problem gambling, such as anxiety and depression.

Cole relays her hope as a parent about future conversations about gambling being more widespread, enabling her sons to make informed choices regarding online activities and loot boxes as they transition into their teenage years.

Concerns of a Mother

Cole said: “Being a mum of boys, I also found it interesting that the 2024 Young People and gambling Survey findings reported the rate of young people scoring 4 or more on the juvenile DSM-IV screen, and therefore representing a young person experiencing problem gambling, was three times higher among boys (1.7 percent vs 0.6 percent of girls).

“I hope that when my boys are teenagers that they will have had conversations not only with me but with their teachers and peers about the impact gambling can have, and that they will be able to make informed choices when inevitably gaming and deciding whether to engage with loot boxes and perhaps just as importantly, I hope that I as the parent can keep up with the technology and implications of what they are playing.”