The UK problem gambling rate fell to 2.4% in the latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), published by the Gambling Commission on 16 July 2026. The figure covers 2025 and is down from 2.7% a year earlier. It is the third annual set of results from a survey that has become one of the largest gambling studies in the world, and it lands at a moment when the regulator is tightening rules on affordability, verification and player protection. For anyone who plays at online casinos, the numbers are a useful snapshot of how gambling behaviour is changing in Britain and where the real risks sit.

What the survey says about the UK problem gambling rate

The headline measure is the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), a screening tool that scores gambling behaviour. Adults scoring eight or more are classed as experiencing problem gambling. That group fell from 2.7% in 2024 to 2.4% in 2025. The picture underneath is more mixed. Moderate risk gambling, defined as a PGSI score of three to seven, rose slightly from 3.1% to 3.5%, while low risk gambling fell from 8.8% to 7.8%.

Overall participation also edged down. The Commission found that 59% of adults gambled in the past 12 months, down from 60% the previous year. Participation in the past four weeks slipped from 48% to 47%, and online gambling held steady at 38%. The National Lottery remained the most popular product, played by 31% of adults, with scratchcard use falling slightly to 12%. Reports of harm from someone else’s gambling also declined, with the share of people saying somebody close to them gambled falling from 48% to 43.2%.

Why this matters for players

A single percentage point does not tell you how to gamble safely, but the direction of travel matters. The Commission described engagement as broadly stable across the survey’s three years, which suggests the market is not spiralling in the way some headlines imply. That stability is part of the backdrop to the rules that shape your day to day experience at a casino, from deposit limits to identity checks.

The more useful detail sits beneath the headline. The Commission stressed that the value of the survey is spotting trends within specific groups rather than relying on one figure, and it flagged rising participation among men aged 55 and over. If you are choosing where to play, the practical takeaway is to use the responsible gambling tools that licensed operators are required to offer, such as deposit limits, time outs and self exclusion, regardless of what the national average happens to be in any given year.

Online slots and higher risk play

The survey work behind the GSGB has consistently shown that some products carry more risk than others. In the Commission’s own analysis, players who gamble on online slots have been far more likely to record a PGSI score of eight or more than gamblers as a whole. That does not mean slots are unsafe, but it does mean the fast, repetitive nature of the format deserves respect.

For players, this is where safe casino choice becomes concrete. Sticking to safe online casinos that hold a proper licence gives you access to spending controls, session reminders and clear game information. If you enjoy online slots, setting a firm budget before you start and using the built in limits is a far better safeguard than any national statistic. A licence from the Commission also means the operator must intervene when it sees signs of harm, which is the point of the new checks now being rolled out.

The debate over the survey’s reliability

The GSGB remains contested. The survey uses a push to web method, in which selected households are invited to complete the questionnaire online, and its sample has grown to around 20,000 adults. Critics argue that a survey advertised as being about gambling tends to attract more engaged gamblers, which can push participation and problem gambling estimates higher than older studies such as the NHS Health Surveys.

Dan Waugh of Regulus Partners renewed that criticism around this release, arguing that the results should be treated with caution and warning that they could be used to justify tighter controls and higher taxes. The Commission itself has always cautioned that GSGB figures are a new baseline and should not be used to scale up a single national headcount of problem gambling. For players, the honest position is that the exact number is uncertain, but the underlying message about managing risk does not change.

What players should watch next

The survey arrives alongside bigger regulatory shifts. The Commission is pressing ahead with its financial risk assessment programme, which is designed to check affordability for higher spending customers in a way that aims to be frictionless for most players. Expect verification and affordability questions to become more common, especially at higher stakes, and expect faster action from operators when accounts show warning signs.

It is also worth watching the wider policy debate. Ministers have begun consulting on unlicensed gambling, and peers have pushed for tighter rules on advertising and sponsorship. None of this changes what a sensible player should do today, but it does point to a market that is moving towards stronger checks and clearer information at licensed sites.

Betspin view

The fall in the UK problem gambling rate is welcome, but it is not a green light to relax. The most reliable protection is still a licensed casino, a set budget and the responsible gambling tools that come with a proper casino licence. Treat the headline figure as context rather than reassurance. If you play at UK casinos, the checks that are coming are designed to keep the licensed market safer than the unlicensed sites the regulator is trying to push out. Our advice stays the same: choose a trustworthy operator, know your limits before you start, and use the controls that are there to help you.

If you or someone you know is affected by gambling, free confidential support is available in Great Britain on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day.