UK Underage Gambling Exposure Grows with Online Market Expansion

A special investigation details the rising incidence of underage gambling in Britain, where most legal forms remain restricted to those 18 and over. A July House of Lords briefing reported that 59 percent of 11–17-year-olds have some experience of gambling. This coincides with the expansion of online gambling and its advertising.

As reported by iGaming Future, the sector’s Gross Gambling Yield reached £16.8 billion in the year to March 2025, up 7.3 percent on the prior year. Online gambling accounted for the bulk of growth, with GGY climbing by over £900 million to £7.8 billion and now comprising 46 percent of the British market.

Scale of Youth Exposure and Vulnerability

79 percent of young people have seen or heard gambling advertising or promotion. Online sources stand at 74 percent, nearly matching offline channels led by TV at 64 percent. Apps led online exposure at 63 percent, followed by social media at 56 percent and livestreaming at 42 percent.

ESPAD research indicates 65 percent of adolescent gamblers participate online. Pediatric Psychologist Dr. Loredana Marchica told Canada’s The Globe and Mail that children are more vulnerable because the brain area handling long-term consequences “is not fully developed until you’re 25 years old.” Lewis, who began gambling at 16, later reflected in a Channel 4 interview: “At 16 I won 64 grand from a 50p bet.”

Tragic outcomes include the 2017 suicide of 24-year-old Jack Ritchie after a seven-year addiction that started at 17, and the death this year of 19-year-old Arthur Soames shortly after opening a bet365 account. Research links youth gambling to poor academic performance, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and elevated suicide risk.

Regulatory Gaps in the Gamification Pipeline

97 percent of 8-17-year-olds play online games, with 53 percent spending money in them. Loot boxes, which use randomized paid rewards, are not classified as gambling by the UK government, the Gambling Commission or the courts. Following a 2022 review, the industry introduced voluntary guidance in 2023 on parental controls and spending limits. From June 2026, games with purchasable loot boxes must carry a PEGI 16 rating.

Kevin McKenna, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, said: “These adverts are designed to get into people’s heads and get them to engage in gambling often at quite vulnerable points in the evening.” The UK gambling sector spent over £2 billion on ads and marketing in 2024.

Closing the Exposure Gap

The current mix of voluntary measures, age ratings and ongoing parliamentary debate leaves statutory protections lagging behind digital access points. Regulators and operators face continued pressure to align safeguards with the speed of technological change that normalizes betting mechanics well before legal age.

Reporting: iGaming Future

Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.