Gambling Commission’s latest survey adds a third year of comparable Great Britain data
The Gambling Commission has published its 2025 Gambling Survey for Great Britain, bringing three comparable years of data on participation, attitudes and gambli
The UK Gambling Commission has published the third annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), giving regulators, researchers and the public three consecutive years of comparable official data on participation, behaviour, attitudes and gambling-related consequences.
The 2025 report is useful not because one number settles the debate about gambling, but because a consistent series can begin to show whether patterns are moving over time. The Commission says the survey is carried out by the National Centre for Social Research in partnership with the University of Glasgow and includes around 20,000 adult respondents each year.
What the latest figures say
According to the Commission, 47% of adults aged 18 and over reported taking part in some form of gambling during the previous four weeks in 2025. That figure falls to 27% when people who only bought lottery-draw tickets are excluded.
The Commission describes headline participation as stable. It also says the most commonly reported reasons for taking part were the chance of winning a large amount of money (84%), fun (69%), making money (57%) and excitement (53%). Respondents can report more than one reason, so these figures should not be read as mutually exclusive groups.
The report says 2.4% of the population recorded a Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score of 8 or more in 2025, a level the Commission says was stable across the three-year series. The Commission also says 78% of gamblers reported a positive or neutral feeling towards their gambling.
Those findings sit alongside each other. A stable headline measure does not remove the need for safeguards, and a positive or neutral experience for many people does not diminish harm experienced by others.
Why a third comparable year matters
The Commission says the GSGB now provides three years of consistent, comparable data from 2023 to 2025. That makes it more useful for tracking trends than a one-off survey result.
For example, policymakers can compare successive GSGB waves when assessing whether participation, reported consequences or views are changing. Operators, treatment providers and researchers can use the evidence alongside their own data, rather than relying only on anecdotes or isolated commercial metrics.
But the word “alongside” is important. The Commission specifically says direct comparisons between GSGB and surveys that use different methods are not appropriate. It also points readers to a technical report setting out the survey’s strengths, weaknesses and the risk that estimates may be over- or under-stated.
That caution is good practice. Survey findings describe what respondents report; they are not a scoreboard for a single company, product or policy. They should be considered with other sources of evidence, including operator data, customer-support insight and independent research.
What the PGSI measure means
The PGSI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. The Commission defines a score of 8 or above as problem gambling: gambling that compromises, disrupts or damages personal, family or recreational pursuits. Scores from 3 to 7 indicate moderate risk, while scores from 1 to 2 indicate low risk.
The presence of a stable 2.4% figure should therefore not be interpreted as “nothing has changed” or “no action is needed”. It is a signal that gambling-related harm remains a material public-health and consumer-protection concern. A responsible industry response needs to be continuous: clearer information, sensible limits, appropriate intervention and routes to independent support.
What readers should take from the release
For consumers, the report is a reminder that gambling can mean different things to different people and that a stated reason such as fun or excitement does not eliminate financial risk. Gambling should be treated as paid entertainment, not as a way to make money.
For the industry, the more durable lesson is evidential. Better decisions come from looking at trends carefully, understanding methodology, and being honest about what the data can and cannot establish. The Commission has also updated its interactive dashboard and published supplementary reports, with more planned during the year.
If gambling is no longer feeling manageable, consider setting limits, taking a break and seeking free support from BeGambleAware.org.
