UK Problem Gambling Rate Edges Down to 2.4% in 2025 as GSGB Faces Fresh Criticism
2026-07-16
Source: SBC News
The Gambling Commission's GSGB 2025 shows problem gambling fell to 2.4% amid slight participation declines, but the survey faces renewed criticism from Regulus Partners over methodological flaws and alleged bias.
Participation in gambling across Great Britain saw a slight decline in 2025, according to the latest edition of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) published by the Gambling Commission. The data shows 48% of adults had gambled in the previous four weeks, down from 49% in 2024, while overall past-year participation dipped one percentage point to 59%. Online gambling participation remained flat at 38%.
Problem Gambling Figures
The headline problem gambling rate, measured by a score of eight or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), fell from 2.7% in 2024 to 2.4% in 2025. Moderate-risk gambling increased slightly from 3.1% to 3.5%, while low-risk gambling declined from 8.8% to 7.8%. The regulator described the overall picture as stable, noting the survey helps identify trends among subgroups such as a rise in gambling among men aged 55 and over. It stressed the importance of using multiple metrics to assess harm rather than relying on a single indicator.
The proportion of respondents reporting that someone close to them gambled dropped from 48% to 43.2%, and reports of stress, conflict, and severe consequences linked to another person’s gambling also fell.
Methodology Under Fire
Dan Waugh, Partner at Regulus Partners, renewed his criticism of the GSGB ahead of the release, arguing the Commission published results “in the knowledge that the results are inaccurate” and said they would be used to justify “tighter controls on consumers and higher taxation for licensees.” He pointed to topic salience bias—the theory that advertising the survey as a gambling study over-samples gamblers—and contrasted it with telephone surveys that may under-report. Waugh stated that the Health Survey for England, conducted in-person with self-completion booklets, had been considered a “Gold Standard” and that “the GSGB represents more than a few steps backwards in terms of reliability.” He called on the Commission to fulfill its ethical responsibility and comply with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice by prominently explaining the survey’s limitations, concluding that “by publishing statistics it knows are not to be trusted, it crosses a line.”