A new UK study reveals a notable drop in the rate at which young people encounter gambling advertisements.
The UK Gambling Commission unveiled its 2023 gambling study report focused on teenagers.
The report indicates that over the past year, the percentage of teenagers aged 11 to 17 who encountered gambling ads has fallen by 10 points. In the past year, 55% and 53% of teenagers saw ads in physical locations and online, respectively. In contrast, the percentages in 2022 were 66% and 63%, respectively.
The UK Gambling Commission described this shift as a significant decrease.
The study interviewed over 3,000 teenagers and discovered a downward pattern in several areas. Notably, 17-year-olds were included in the study for the first time.
The study findings show that in the past year, 26% of respondents aged 11 to 17 had gambled with their own funds. While this proportion is over a quarter, it is 5 percentage points lower than the 31% in 2022.
Teenagers primarily opt for legal forms of gambling, with the most common gambling activities being legal or age-restricted gambling products.
These activities encompass playing arcade games, such as coin-operated machines or claw machines, which represented 19% of the total. Wagering and playing cards with companions or family members were the subsequent most prevalent forms of entertainment.
In addition to arcade games, which minors are legally permitted to engage in, 4% of participants gambled with their own funds in regulated gambling establishments. This figure represents a decrease from 5% in 2022. Approximately 1.5% of respondents were identified as exhibiting a risk of gambling, a decline from 2.4% in 2022.
Among young individuals who gambled with their own funds in the preceding 12 months, 80% engaged in this activity because they found it enjoyable. Less than one in five individuals agreed that gambling brought them happiness.
The UK Gambling Commission stated: “The Commission mandates that gambling operators implement robust safeguards to prevent minors from accessing products illicitly. This implies that the most prevalent gambling activities that young individuals engage in with their own funds are either legal or products devoid of age restrictions.”
The Gambling Act Review White Paper could potentially have further ramifications. The Gambling Act Review White Paper encompasses proposals to eliminate the existing age verification exemption for minimal gambling venues. Venues could also be compelled to verify the age of patrons who appear under 25, rather than under 21.
The group emphasized: “Safeguarding children and adolescents from danger remains the group’s top priority, and they are striving to carry out the pertinent suggestions presented by the administration in its Gambling Act Review White Paper.”
This study was carried out in educational institutions, with pupils finishing an online self-completion questionnaire in class. The investigation gathered sample data from 3,453 teenagers between the ages of 11 and 16, and for the first time this year, also included data from 17-year-olds attending colleges, state and independent schools in England, Scotland and Wales. The data collection period was between February and July 2023.
In the meantime, Tim Miller, Executive Director of Research and Policy at the UK Gambling Commission, described plans for the next phase of discussions on the Gambling Act Review White Paper. This round of discussions will cover bonuses and free bets – more precisely, making sure they are socially responsible.
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