UK Gambling Commission Issues Third Annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain Report

The UK Gambling Commission released its third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain report on 16 July 2026 and this marks the first time three consecutive years of comparable official statistics have become available covering the period from 2023 through 2025.

Researchers collected responses from over 20,000 participants across Great Britain and the resulting data set now forms the regulator's primary evidence base for future policy decisions on adult gambling participation, behaviours, attitudes and harms.

Survey Scope and Comparable Data Series

Observers note that this edition establishes a consistent three-year baseline because earlier surveys used different methodologies that prevented direct year-on-year comparisons, whereas the current framework allows analysts to track changes across 2023, 2024 and 2025 with greater precision and the report therefore supplies regulators with the clearest picture yet of how gambling patterns have evolved since the new approach began.

Data shows participation rates remained stable throughout the three-year window while the proportion of adults scoring 8 or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index held steady at 2.4 percent, a figure that has now been recorded consistently for each of the three survey years.

Participation Trends Across Three Years

Figures reveal that overall adult engagement with gambling activities did not shift significantly between 2023 and 2025 and this stability appears across multiple categories including lotteries, sports betting and casino-style games offered both online and in physical venues, researchers compiled the numbers through a large-scale probability sample that aimed to reflect the broader British adult population.

Those who've examined the full data set point out that the absence of major fluctuations in participation provides a useful reference point for policymakers who must decide whether additional regulatory measures are required or whether existing controls continue to align with observed behaviour.

Problem Gambling Indicator Remains Unchanged

The problem gambling rate measured by a PGSI score of 8 or above stayed at 2.4 percent across all three years and this consistency means the survey has not detected an increase or decrease in the most severe category of harm during the period under review, experts have therefore begun to examine whether the stable rate reflects successful harm-minimisation efforts already in place or whether other factors are maintaining the current level.

Additional questions within the survey captured self-reported attitudes toward gambling and experiences of harm and these responses now sit alongside the core participation and PGSI statistics to give a more rounded view of how adults perceive and interact with gambling products.

Role as Primary Evidence Base

Regulators have stated that the GSGB series now serves as the main source of evidence when they review existing rules or consider new ones and the availability of three comparable years strengthens the ability to identify genuine trends rather than one-off variations caused by survey design changes, this approach replaces reliance on less consistent earlier data sets.

Policy teams can therefore examine the stable participation figures and the steady 2.4 percent problem gambling rate when they assess the impact of recent interventions such as stake limits or advertising restrictions that were introduced during the survey period.

Methodology and Sample Size

The survey employed a large probability-based sample exceeding 20,000 respondents each year and this scale supports detailed breakdowns by age, region and gambling type while maintaining statistical reliability, researchers applied consistent weighting and question wording across the three waves to ensure comparability.

Results are published in the official Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) Annual Report 2025: Official statistics which includes tables showing both headline indicators and more granular findings on specific behaviours and attitudes.

Next Steps for Data Users

Analysts and government departments now have access to a growing time series that can be updated annually and this structure allows future reports to reveal whether the current stability in participation and problem gambling rates continues or begins to shift, the Commission has indicated that subsequent waves will follow the same methodology to preserve comparability.

Stakeholders who rely on official statistics for planning treatment services or evaluating regulatory effectiveness can therefore reference the 2023–2025 baseline when they set performance targets or allocate resources.

Conclusion

The 16 July 2026 release supplies the first three-year run of comparable data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain and the key headline remains unchanged participation alongside a steady 2.4 percent problem gambling rate derived from more than 20,000 responses each year, the report continues to function as the regulator's central evidence source for decisions that affect gambling policy across Great Britain.