Gambling Commission Issues Third Annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain Report

The Gambling Commission released its third annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain on data covering 2023 through 2025, and the document delivers the first set of fully comparable statistics across three years for the region. Researchers designed the survey as one of the largest dedicated gambling studies worldwide, drawing roughly 20,000 respondents each year to track participation, behaviours, attitudes, and consequences. Data collection methods remained consistent, which allows direct year-on-year comparisons for the first time since the survey series began.

Survey Scope and Methodology

Officials at the Gambling Commission structured the GSGB to capture a broad picture of gambling activity across Great Britain, and the annual report format presents headline figures alongside detailed breakdowns by activity type and demographic group. The sample size supports robust national estimates while also enabling analysis of smaller subgroups such as online-only players or those who participate in multiple forms of gambling. Because the same questions and weighting procedures applied across all three years, observers note that trend detection now rests on firmer ground than in earlier, non-comparable datasets.

Participation Rates Remain Steady

Headline participation stood at 47 percent of adults reporting any gambling in the past four weeks during 2025, and that figure matches the levels recorded in the two preceding years. When lottery-only players are removed from the calculation, the rate falls to 27 percent, again showing stability across the three-year window. Figures reveal that the most common activities continue to include lottery draws, while other categories such as online casino games and sports betting maintain smaller but consistent shares of the overall market.

Problem Gambling Prevalence Holds Constant

The report records a problem gambling rate of 2.4 percent among adults who scored eight or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index in 2025, and this proportion has remained unchanged since the first comparable wave. Researchers applied the same PGSI instrument each year, which strengthens the ability to monitor shifts in harm levels over time. Additional questions on gambling consequences provide further context, showing that most participants report no negative effects while a smaller group experiences financial, emotional, or relationship difficulties.

Motivations Behind Gambling Activity

Survey respondents identified winning money as a primary motivation in 84 percent of cases, while 69 percent cited fun or enjoyment as a key driver. These percentages appear consistently across the three years of data, indicating that core reasons for participation have not shifted markedly. The report also breaks down motivations by gambling type, revealing that lottery players more often emphasize the chance to win large prizes, whereas sports bettors and casino players place relatively higher weight on the entertainment aspect.

Enabling Trend Analysis for Policy Use

Because three full years of comparable data now exist, analysts at the Gambling Commission and external researchers can begin to separate short-term fluctuations from longer-term patterns. The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (Annual Report 2025) therefore serves as a baseline for future evaluations of regulatory changes or industry developments. Officials have stated that subsequent waves will maintain the same methodology to preserve this comparability.

Broader Context in 2026

As of August 2026, regulators and industry stakeholders continue to reference the GSGB series when assessing participation trends and harm levels. The stability recorded through 2025 provides a reference point against which any later movements can be measured. Government departments and public health bodies have access to the same dataset, allowing coordinated approaches to player protection measures where needed.

Conclusion

The third annual GSGB report supplies a clear, three-year picture of gambling participation and associated outcomes across Great Britain. Stable headline rates for both overall involvement and problem gambling sit alongside consistent motivational factors, and the large sample size supports detailed analysis. With comparable data now available, future reports will track whether these patterns hold or evolve in response to market or regulatory shifts.