UK Gambling Commission Publishes Third Annual GSGB Report With Stable Participation Figures

The UK Gambling Commission has issued its third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain, a report that compiles responses collected between January 2025 and January 2026 from more than 20,000 adults. This latest edition delivers the third consecutive year of comparable official statistics on gambling behaviours, attitudes, and harms across the population.

Survey Scope and Methodology

Data collection occurred through a structured approach that captured self-reported participation across multiple gambling formats. The sample size exceeds 20,000 adults, which allows researchers to track year-on-year changes with greater consistency than earlier fragmented surveys. Because the same methodology has now been applied across three annual cycles, analysts can compare results directly without adjusting for differing collection techniques.

Participation Rates Remain Steady

Overall gambling participation rates show little movement from previous years. The figures indicate that engagement levels have held consistent even as certain demographic groups display distinct patterns. Older men continue to register higher rates of involvement in non-lottery gambling activities compared with other segments of the population. Lottery play remains the most widely reported form of gambling, yet the survey separates this category to highlight trends in other sectors such as sports betting, casino games, and gaming machines.

Problem Gambling Indicators Show Modest Decline

The survey measures problem gambling through the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), a validated screening tool. The proportion of respondents scoring 8 or higher on this index, which signals problem gambling, fell to 2.4 percent in the most recent data set. This represents a reduction from the 2.7 percent recorded in the prior annual report. Observers note that the decline appears across the three-year series of consistent measurements, though the absolute change remains relatively small.

Researchers tracking these statistics point out that the PGSI scale also captures lower-level risk categories. Moderate-risk and low-risk scores provide additional context, yet the headline movement in the highest category has drawn particular attention because it reflects the segment associated with the most significant harms. The report presents these figures alongside self-reported attitudes toward gambling and experiences of negative consequences.

Demographic Patterns in Non-Lottery Gambling

Breaking down participation by age and gender reveals that men aged 45 and older show elevated involvement in several non-lottery formats. This pattern holds across multiple data waves, suggesting a stable demographic profile rather than a short-term fluctuation. Women and younger adults register lower participation in these same categories, although lottery engagement appears more evenly distributed across groups.

The survey also records attitudes toward gambling regulation and perceived harms. Respondents provide information on whether they have experienced financial, emotional, or relationship difficulties connected to their own or someone else’s gambling. These supplementary questions help place the participation and PGSI numbers within a broader picture of public sentiment.

Three Years of Comparable Official Data

One notable feature of the current release lies in the availability of three full years of data gathered under identical protocols. Earlier gambling statistics often relied on differing sample frames or question wording, which complicated direct comparisons. The GSGB series now supplies a running record that regulators, treatment providers, and policy researchers can reference when assessing trends over time.

The Gambling Commission has made the full dataset and accompanying tables available through its official channels. Stakeholders examining the numbers can review both headline participation rates and the more granular breakdowns by activity type, demographics, and harm indicators.

Context Within Broader Regulatory Environment

Release of the third annual report occurs during July 2026, a period when the gambling sector continues to operate under evolving regulatory requirements. The consistent statistics supplied by the GSGB allow observers to monitor whether participation or harm measures shift in response to new rules or licensing conditions. Because the survey captures self-reported behaviours directly from a large respondent pool, it functions as one reference point among several data sources used by the Commission.

Conclusion

The third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain presents a picture of stable overall participation alongside a modest reduction in the highest PGSI category. With more than 20,000 respondents and three years of aligned methodology, the report supplies regulators and researchers with a clearer longitudinal view than previously available. Demographic differences, particularly among older men in non-lottery gambling, remain visible in the latest figures. The data set continues to serve as a primary resource for tracking behaviours, attitudes, and harms across Great Britain.