Over 5 million people want to quit gambling, new study shows
A study by GambleAware has shown that over 5 million people in the UK want to either quit or reduce their gambling habits.
Of the 5 million people, around 3.9 million are looking to do this, despite not suffering from severe or problematic gambling issues.
The data was taken from the charity’s yearly Treatment and Support survey, which is conducted by YouGov.
Research from our recent Treatment and Support Survey estimates over 5M people in Britain want to reduce or quit gambling — showing the growing need for early support and prevention to keep people safe from harm.
To learn more: https://t.co/LrvqVKlZgC pic.twitter.com/Cwicrby7RW
— GambleAware (@gambleawaregb) November 14, 2025
Those in the 18-34 age bracket appear to be the biggest concern, with 2 million individuals wanting to quit gambling, hinting at a shift towards early intervention in preventing their problems from escalating.
In July last year, GambleAware launched a service finder, allowing anyone to search for support organizations within their local area.
Since launching 16 months ago, the service has already seen 42,000 users, with more than 13,000 referrals to support providers during that time.
GambleAware has also developed services such as its Self-Assessment tool, while for more in-depth issues, the GambleAware Spend Calculator calculates how much time and money someone using the service spends on gambling.
“Five million people want to reduce or quit their gambling, which highlights just how much our tools and services are needed, as well as those that sit within the National Gambling Support Network. However, gambling is making you feel, there is help available,” said Anna Hargrave, Chief Executive of GambleAware.
“Wherever you are in your journey, I want to take this opportunity to remind people that help and support continues to be available for people in need now and within the new statutory gambling harms system. For free advice, tools and support, visit gambleaware.org.”
Teenagers spending money online could lead to future gambling issues
With the GambleAware study stating that 2 million people between the ages of 18-34 want to stop gambling, this number could rise in the future.
A report carried out by the Gambling Commission last year showed that more and more 11-17-year-olds are spending money via online gaming.
Games such as FIFA, Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto are all notorious for featuring in-game purchases such as skins, packs and points.
It follows on from a Norwegian study which correlates the link between gaming in adolescents and potential future gambling issues.
Once again, the impact of buying skins and other in-game purchases could lead to problems with gambling once they reach adulthood.
“Through simulated gambling, young people are socialized into gambling, they learn the technical skills, but they learn a distorted reality where it is easy to win. It is clearly problematic when these young people get older and are exposed to other gambling,” said Professor Ståle Pallesen, who helped conduct the survey.
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