The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) is a large study dedicated to gambling participation, behaviours and consequences. The recent 2024 report was produced by the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow. BonusFinder, an online casinos comparison site, summarises the survey below.
This survey has undergone independent review and through a range of research and data collected from 2024, complements the Commission’s wider exploration of gambling in Britain.
Key findings from the 2024 Great Britain Gambling Survey
Within the 2024 Gambling Survey for Great Britain, it was revealed that a total of 48% of adults aged 18 or over in Great Britain have gambled in one form or another over the previous four weeks. This figure drops to 28% when removing those who had only bought tickets for the National Lottery.
Of those that gambled, 42% claimed that they enjoyed a positive experience when they last gambled, compared to the 21% who reported having a negative experience.
The main reason why people gamble was the chance to win big money (85%), while 72% stated that the reason they gamble is because it is fun.
Last year, 2.7% of adults aged 18+ in Great Britain scored 8+ on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Compared to 2023, this is statistically stable, but there are still some risks.
Professor Patrick Sturgis has published recent research that has strengthened confidence in the effectiveness of GSCB results.
The Gambling Commission is now able to produce two supplementary reports into risk profiles among people who gamble on a weekly basis, and the potential negative consequences of gambling due to the large sample size – 19,714 participants.
Report one goes into depth on risk profiles of those who gamble weekly. Risk levels vary between gambling products and also within product categories, highlighting why operators must pay more attention to the risk factors involved with their client base.
Findings from the second report explore that gambling can impact various aspects of someone’s life, such as relationships, jobs and their health.
“The Gambling Survey for Great Britain is a key building block of the evidence base which helps government, industry and other partners understand both gambling behaviour and potential consequences from gambling,” said Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission.
“This year’s findings deepen our understanding of consequences from gambling and provide crucial insight into risk profiles among those who gamble most frequently. We strongly encourage operators to use this evidence to consider the risks within their own customer bases.
“Data and research, such as GSGB, is essential to helping us identify where our regulatory focus should be and informs our ongoing work to implement player protection recommendations from the Gambling Act Review White Paper.“
