UKGC Youth Gambling Survey Highlights Underage Access and Advertising Exposure

The survey found that 26% of young people spent their own money on gambling activities during the previous 12 months. Participation was considerably more common in activities that are legal or not age-restricted for children, with 24% reporting involvement.

The most frequently reported were arcade gaming machines, including penny pushers and claw grab machines (19%), followed by informal betting with friends or family (11%). However, 5% reported spending their own money on age-restricted gambling products, including activities that licensed operators must prevent minors from accessing.

The UKGC emphasised the importance of distinguishing between legally accessible activities and those restricted to adults.

Ben Haden, the Commission’s Director of Research and Statistics, said:

The Commission’s focus is on ensuring that children and young people are not able to spend money on age-restricted gambling products.

For operators, the findings reinforce the importance of effective identity verification, account access controls and monitoring procedures.

However, the survey relies on self-reported responses and does not establish that particular UKGC-licensed operators breached age restrictions.

Advertising exposure remains a significant finding of the 2026 research. Almost nine in ten respondents (89%) recalled seeing or hearing gambling advertising or promotions during the previous year.

Weekly exposure was particularly common across digital platforms:

• Social media – 55%
• Live streaming and video-sharing platforms – 53%
• Television – 52%
• Apps – 51%

The survey also found that 15% of young people followed gambling-related content on social media or streaming platforms. Among this group, 38% reported exposure to gambling promotions from influencers or content creators they followed.

These findings are relevant to operators and affiliates managing paid advertising, influencer partnerships and audience targeting.

As previously reported by Ace Alliance, the UKGC and CAP’s AI-based advertising monitoring initiative has placed additional attention on potentially non-compliant gambling promotions across digital channels.

The latest survey provides further evidence of the extent to which young audiences encounter gambling-related content, although exposure alone does not demonstrate that advertising rules have been breached.

The research offers several considerations for businesses operating within the regulated British gambling market.

For operators, age verification remains a critical compliance function. Registration checks, account security and measures preventing underage access should operate consistently across customer journeys.

For affiliates and marketing teams, advertising exposure raises questions about audience exclusions, influencer oversight and the effectiveness of platform-level targeting controls.

Recent enforcement action illustrates the importance of reviewing creative content alongside campaign distribution. The ASA’s Midnite AI advertising ruling demonstrated how age-related advertising requirements can apply even when promotional characters are artificially generated.

The findings also arrive amid wider discussions about gambling marketing restrictions.

A recent House of Lords committee report on gambling advertising recommended stronger restrictions, although these proposals have not become binding legislation.

For compliance teams, the practical consideration is whether existing marketing controls adequately limit inappropriate exposure and whether third-party promotional arrangements receive sufficient oversight.

The UKGC’s latest research does not introduce new regulatory requirements or establish a causal relationship between advertising exposure and gambling participation.

Instead, it provides additional evidence for assessing how gambling products and promotional content reach young audiences, while reinforcing the importance of existing safeguards across the regulated sector.