Three Years of Data Show Steady Gambling Patterns Across Great Britain
The UK Gambling Commission has issued its third annual report drawn from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, and the findings cover official statistics spanning 2023 through 2025 while tracking participation, behaviours, attitudes plus consequences in one continuous dataset. Headline numbers stayed consistent year after year, with 47 percent of adults aged 18 and over reporting any form of gambling activity in the past four weeks during 2025, and that figure drops to 27 percent once lottery-only players are removed from the count. Problem gambling rates measured by a PGSI score of 8 or higher also held steady at 2.4 percent across the full three-year window.
Survey Scope and Data Collection
Researchers built the Gambling Survey for Great Britain to deliver reliable, comparable figures each year, and the latest release pulls together responses that capture how adults engage with gambling products, how they view those activities, and what outcomes follow. Data collection ran continuously so analysts could compare 2023, 2024 and 2025 on the same metrics without gaps or methodological shifts, which gives observers a clear picture of stability rather than sudden change. The report focuses on adults living in Great Britain, and it separates lottery play from other forms of gambling to highlight differences in participation depth.
Participation Rates Hold Firm
Overall involvement showed little movement, and the 47 percent figure for any gambling in the past four weeks during 2025 sits in line with earlier waves of the same survey. When lottery draws are set aside, the remaining 27 percent reflects engagement with betting, casino games, slots and similar activities, and that proportion also remained consistent. Those who've examined the full dataset note that stability appears across most product categories, which suggests broader patterns have settled after earlier fluctuations in the market.
Problem Gambling Indicators Remain Unchanged
Problem gambling prevalence measured through the Problem Gambling Severity Index stayed at 2.4 percent for respondents scoring 8 or above, and this rate showed no meaningful shift from 2023 onward. The survey also records attitudes toward gambling harm and self-reported consequences, yet the core high-risk category held its ground. Experts tracking these numbers point out that the three-year span provides a stronger baseline than single-year snapshots, allowing future comparisons to rest on solid ground rather than isolated readings.
Attitudes and Reported Consequences
Beyond raw participation and problem rates, the survey gathers views on whether gambling is fair, whether operators are trustworthy, and whether people have experienced negative outcomes. Responses in these areas tracked closely with the stable participation numbers, and analysts found no large swings in public sentiment across the period. Data shows that those reporting harms tended to cluster in the higher PGSI bands, while the majority of participants described limited or no negative effects, which aligns with the overall steady profile.
Context for July 2026 Reporting
By July 2026 the Gambling Commission continues to release regular updates drawn from the same survey framework, and the 2025 numbers now serve as the most recent full-year benchmark available. Industry observers and policy groups reference these figures when discussing participation trends or harm levels, and the consistency recorded through 2025 offers a reference point against which any later movements can be measured. The three-year dataset therefore functions as a foundation rather than an endpoint for ongoing monitoring work.
Key Takeaways from the Trends Report
Figures reveal that lottery play continues to account for a substantial share of overall involvement, while non-lottery gambling sits at lower but stable levels. Behaviours such as frequency of play and preferred channels showed little deviation, and attitudes toward regulation remained largely positive according to aggregated responses. The report links these elements together, which helps readers see how participation, risk and perception sit alongside one another in a single national picture.
Conclusion
The third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain report supplies three consecutive years of comparable statistics that document steady participation at 47 percent overall and 27 percent excluding lottery-only play, alongside an unchanged problem gambling rate of 2.4 percent. Those numbers come from the official Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB): Annual Report 2025 and they give regulators, researchers and operators a consistent baseline for future analysis. The data collection approach ensures each wave builds directly on the last, and the absence of major shifts through 2025 provides a clear reference for tracking developments that may appear in later releases.