Young People and Gambling 2016
A research study among 11-15 year olds in England and Wales
November 2016
Contents
1
Executive summary ................................................................................................................. 3
2
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 5
3
Gambling activity among young people ................................................................................... 7
Gambling prevalence ............................................................................................................... 7
Online gambling activity ......................................................................................................... 11
Perceptions of and reasons for gambling ............................................................................... 15
Gambling advertising and social media ................................................................................. 17
Problem gambling.................................................................................................................. 21
4
The National Lottery .............................................................................................................. 24
When National Lottery tickets or scratchcards are bought ..................................................... 24
Where National Lottery tickets or scratchcards are bought .................................................... 25
Who accompanies children when they buy National Lottery tickets or scratchcards .............. 26
Who hands the money over at the till ..................................................................................... 27
5
Other indicators ..................................................................................................................... 28
Gambling prevalence in the context of other activities ........................................................... 28
Gambling prevalence in a European context ......................................................................... 28
Parental influence .................................................................................................................. 29
Problem gambling and mental health..................................................................................... 29
Gambling where individuals were unable to prove their age .................................................. 30
Underage test purchasing for the five largest betting operators ............................................. 31
Confidential Helpline data ...................................................................................................... 32
Compliance data on operators’ capacity to exclude underage activity ................................... 32
Licence Conditions & Codes of Practice data on underage access licence breaches ............ 33
Shared regulation and local risk assessments ....................................................................... 33
6
Appendix ............................................................................................................................... 34
Problem gambling screen inputs ............................................................................................ 34
2
1 Executive summary
The latest annual survey by the Gambling Commission to identify the incidence and frequency of
gambling among young people in England and Wales indicates that 11-15 year olds’ claimed rate
of gambling has remained relatively static over time.
Gambling prevalence
Overall, 16% of 11-15 year olds spent their own money on a gambling activity in the week prior to
taking part in the study – a figure that has remained in the 15-17% range since 2013, having fallen
from a peak of 23% in 2011.
The most popular forms of gambling continue to be fruit machines (5%), placing a private bet with
friends (5%), playing cards for money with friends (4%), and National Lottery scratchcards (4%).
In total, 8% of 11-15 year olds had gambled on a commercial premises in the last week, and 8%
had played games for money with friends.
Gambling in the past week is twice as prevalent among boys (21%) as among girls (11%).
Online gambling activity
3% of 11-15 year olds have ever spent their own money on online gambling, but 6% have ever
gambled online using their parents’ accounts (either with or without permission).
The current prevalence of ever playing gambling-style social games (which are free to play and
offer no cash prizes) is 9%.
Perception of and reasons for gambling
The top three reasons given for gambling for the first time were ‘to make money’ (24%), ‘I thought
it would be fun/entertaining’ (23%) and ‘I thought it would be exciting’ (21%).
3
The majority of 11-15 year olds (58%) agree that ‘gambling is dangerous’ while fewer than one in
ten children agreed that, ‘gambling is safer if you practice it first’, ‘gambling is an easy way to
make money’, ‘the more you gamble the better your chance of winning’ and ‘most people my age
gamble’.
Gambling advertising and social media
11-15 year olds are most likely to have ever seen gambling advertisements on TV (75%) followed
by on social media websites (63%) and other websites (57%).
In addition, almost one in ten (9%) follow gambling companies on social media sites, principally
Facebook (5%), Instagram (4%) and YouTube (4%).
Problem gambling
The proportion of 12-15 year olds classified as ‘problem’ gamblers1, using the youth-adapted
problem gambling screen DSM-IV-MR-J2, has remained low at 0.4% (compared to 0.6% in the
2015 study), with a further 1.6% classified as ‘at risk’ (compared to 1.2% in 2015).
The National Lottery
Overall, 5% of 11-15 year olds had played any National Lottery game in the past 7 days, showing
no change since 2015. Scratchcards (4%) and Lotto (3%) were the most popular forms of play.
Amongst 11-15 year olds who say they play the National Lottery, tickets/scratchcards are typically
bought in the company of a parent/guardian (84%) and a parent/guardian hands over the money at
point of purchase on the majority of occasions (78%).
Other indicators
The prevalence of gambling in the last week among 11-15 year olds is considerably higher than
the comparable figures for smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs.3
Across Europe, but excluding the UK, 14% of 15-16 year olds have gambled for money at least
once and in common with the Gambling Commission survey, boys are much more likely to have
done so than girls.4
Gambling Commission industry statistics for April 2014 – March 2015 indicate that 576,110
individuals were challenged on the basis of their age at betting, arcade, casino and bingo
premises. The total number of reported challenges decreased by 9% based on the previous year.
From October 2015 to September 2016, the Commission conducted 440 assessments of an
operator’s capacity to exclude underage persons. Of these, 3% (13 operators or premises) were
recorded as ‘inadequate’.
Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) data for October 2015 – September 2016
shows 50 breaches relating to underage access at gambling premises, representing 6% of all
recorded breaches.
The definition of ‘problem’ and ‘social’ gamblers in this report is that as defined by the American Psychiatric
Association. Further details can be found in the Problem Gambling section.
2 Problem gambling behaviour was assessed using the DSM-IV-MR-J problem gambling screen; an established
standard used to assess whether a gambler is a problem gambler. It consists of nine components that tap into different
behaviours indicative of problem gambling.
3 Health & Social Care Information Centre (2015). Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England –
2014. http://www.espad.org/sites/espad.org/files/ESPAD_report_2015.pdf
4 ESPAD (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) (2016). ESPAD Report 2015 – Results from the
European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs.
http://www.espad.org/sites/espad.org/files/ESPAD_report_2015.pdf
1
4
2 Introduction
This report presents the findings of the latest in a series of annual surveys by Gambling
Commission to identify the incidence and frequency of gambling among young people in England
and Wales5.
Objectives
The overall aim of this research study was to explore gambling behaviours and attitudes among
11-15 year olds, focusing on:






Rates of gambling on different types of games (including the National Lottery)
Experiences of online gambling and ‘gambling-style games’
Perceptions of gambling and reasons for gambling for the first time
The role of gambling advertising and social media
The incidence of ‘problem’ and ‘at risk’ gamblers6
Further insights on participation in National Lottery games
Survey sample and methodology
The research was conducted using Ipsos MORI’s Young People Omnibus, a representative survey
of pupils attending academies7 and maintained schools8 in England and Wales. The research was
conducted in a sample of schools, with pupils filling out paper self-completion questionnaires while
under interviewer supervision. A detailed explanation of the research, including notes on the
presentation, interpretation and publication of data, is given in the separate Technical Note9.
The 2016 survey follows on from previous research into the prevalence of gambling among young
people conducted via the Ipsos MORI Young People Omnibus in 2007 and then annually from
2011-2015, and the 2008/09 British Survey of Children, the National Lottery and Gambling.
This findings in this report are based on a sample of 2,411 children aged 11-15, who are not
legally old enough to play National Lottery games, but also draws on results from 16 year olds for
comparative purposes.10
Research quick facts
Sample: 2,411 children aged 11-15 drawn from a representative sample of 103 state
secondary and middle schools in England and Wales
Method: Self-completion pen and paper surveys conducted with whole classes during
classroom periods, supervised by Ipsos MORI interviewers
Fieldwork dates: 18 January – 26 April 2016
Ipsos MORI’s Young People Omnibus survey is conducted in England and Wales only due to the differences in the
education system in Scotland: the first year of secondary school in England & Wales (Year 7) is the last year of primary
school in Scotland and the sample frame is not designed to include primary schools.
6 Utilising a revised version of the DSM-IV-MR-J problem gambling screener, developed by Dr S. Fisher, 2000.
7 Academies (including free schools) are publically funded, independent schools, held accountable through a legally
binding ‘funding agreement’.
8 Maintained schools are overseen or ‘maintained’ by the Local Authority.
9 http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/Young-People-and-Gambling-Technical-Note-2016.pdf
10 In addition to the sample of 2,411 pupils aged 11-15, a sample of 144 16 year olds were included in the research
study.
5
5
Other indicators
For the first time this year, the report also draws upon various other relevant sources of data, both
from within the Gambling Commission and external, which are included in Section 5.
These sources include external data and literature on other activities such as smoking and
drinking alcohol, young people’s gambling rates in other European countries, parental influence
and problem gambling and mental health.
In addition we have included relevant data held by the Gambling Commission on underage
challenges on licensed premises, test purchase results, confidential helpline data, compliance data
on operators’ capacity to exclude underage activity, records of underage access breaches, and
information about our work in the area of shared regulation and local risk assessments.
Protecting children from gambling-related harm
The Gambling Act 2005 sets a statutory licensing objective that children should be protected
from being harmed by gambling.
Most gambling is legal from age 18. The National Lottery and pools have a minimum age of 16
years, and low stakes and prizes ‘Category D’ machines can be played at any age. Informal
private gambling (such as between friends) is unregulated.
All operators licensed by the Gambling Commission must have policies and procedures in
place which promote socially responsible gambling. To protect children these should include,
for example:

checking the age of customers who appear to be, or are suspected of being, underage;

not deliberately providing facilities for gambling in such a way as to appeal particularly
to children and young people, for example by reflecting or being associated with youth
culture;

in premises restricted to adults, refusing service in circumstances where an adult is
accompanied by a child or young person.
6
3 Gambling activity among young people
Gambling prevalence
This section of the report examines the prevalence and frequency of different types of gambling
activities.
Overall, 16% of 11-15 year olds have spent money on gambling in the past week. This figure is
similar to reported rates of gambling for the previous three years, where the figure has been
between 15-17%, and does not represent a statistically significant change.
To place these figures in context compared to the adult population, Gambling Commission data11
indicates that 46% of UK adults aged 18 and over have participated in at least one form of
gambling in the past four weeks. Despite a decline in prevalence over the last few years, National
Lottery draws are still the most popular gambling activity among adults, with 30% having played in
the past four weeks, followed by scratchcards (11%) and other lotteries (also 11%).
11
Gambling Commission (2016). Survey data on gambling participation - July 2016.
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Gambling-data-analysis/Gambling-participation/Gambling-participationdata/Gambling-participation-survey-data.aspx
7
Individual game play in the past week
Across all types of gambling games the pattern for participation is largely in line with 2015. The
most common forms are playing fruit machines (5%), placing a private bet (5%), playing cards for
money with friends (4%) and National Lottery scratchcards (4%).
Overall, 8% of 11-15 year olds have participated in a gambling activity in the past week on
commercial premises, such as arcades or betting shops.12 The same proportion has gambled with
friends13 (8%), whilst only 2% have gambling online.
Net participation in National Lottery games is 5%, a similar level to the last three years and half of
its 2011 peak (10%). In addition to scratchcards (4%), gameplay comprises Lotto (3%), other
National Lottery games such as EuroMillions or Thunderball (1%), and instant win games on the
National Lottery website (1%).
12
This net figure includes six possible responses: fruit machine play (at an arcade, pub or club), bingo at a bingo club,
placing a bet at a betting shop, visiting a betting shop to play gambling machines, playing other gambling machines and
visiting a casino.
13 This net figure includes two possible responses: placing a private bet for money (e.g. with friends) and playing cards
for money with friends.
8
Gambling participation by gender
The survey found that boys are almost twice as likely as girls to have gambled for money (similar
to previous years), as shown in the table below:
Type of gambling activity
Any gambling (net)
Gambling on a premises (net)
Gambling with friends (net)
Gambling online (net)
Any National Lottery game (net)
Fruit machines (e.g. at an arcade, pub or club)
Placing a private bet for money (e.g. with friends)
Playing cards for money with friends
National Lottery scratchcards
Lotto (the main National Lottery draw)
Bingo at a bingo club
Playing other gambling machines
Personally placing a bet at a betting shop (e.g. on football)
Gambling websites (e.g. internet poker)
Any other National Lottery games (e.g. EuroMillions)
Personally visiting a betting shop to play gaming machines
National Lottery instant win games on the internet
Other lotteries (e.g. the Health Lottery etc.)
Personally visiting a casino to play casino games
9
Boys
(n=1,161)
21%
10%
11%
3%
6%
7%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
2%
1%
1%
Girls
(n=1,250)
11%
5%
4%
<1%
4%
3%
3%
2%
3%
2%
2%
1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Frequency of play
Children were asked how frequently they have spent their own money on a range of gambling
activities: Lotto, National Lottery scratchcards, fruit machines, bingo at a bingo club, any online
gambling and betting with friends.
The most common frequency of 11-15 year olds spending their own money on each of these types
of gambling is once or twice a year. A relatively small proportion are doing so once a week or
more often, at 15% for each of National Lottery scratchcards, betting with friends, Lotto and any
online gambling. 10% of those who ever play bingo at a bingo club do so at least once a week
and among those who play fruit machines, the proportion is 7%.
10
Online gambling activity
This section examines children’s participation in online gambling and gambling-style games, and
also considers the prevalence of following gambling companies on social media.
‘Online gambling’ refers to any online gambling where the child spent their own money.
‘Gambling-style games’ refers to online games which look and play like gambling games such as
Roulette or Poker, but are free to play, you cannot win a prize and they can be played at any age.
Online gambling prevalence
The survey found that 3% of all 11-15 year olds have ever spent their own money on any form of
online gambling, although this activity is more prevalent among boys (5%) than among girls (1%).
Among both genders, the frequency of participation is most commonly only once or twice a year.
Online gambling using parents’ accounts
Mirroring last year’s results, a small minority of 11-15 year olds have participated in online
gambling using their parents’ accounts. 4% have played National Lottery games online using a
parents’ account with their permission, and 1% have done so without permission. The incidence
of this behaviour on other gambling websites (not the National Lottery) is even lower, 2% doing so
with permission and 1% without permission from their parents/guardians.
11
Online gambling-style games
Our survey indicates that the proportion of 11-15 year olds playing gambling-style games online is
fewer than one in ten, at 9% (11% of boys and 7% of girls).
Among 11-15 year olds who have ever played online gambling-style games, 40% have played
these types of games within the past week.
Also based on children who have ever played these types of games, 40% had ever gambled for
money, and the most popular varieties to be played in the last week were poker (17%), bingo
(16%), slot/fruit machines games (15%) and casino-style games (12%).
Poker is the most popular online gambling-style game among boys who have played these types
of games, with 23% having done so in the past week. On the other hand, bingo is most popular
among girls, with 25% of girls who have played online gambling-style games having played in the
past week.
12
Ways of playing online gambling-style games
The most common way of playing an online gambling-style game is using an app on a smartphone
or tablet (73%, up from 64% last year). Social networking sites such as Facebook remain the
second most common method of play at 25%, although this was an 11% decline since the 2015
study – perhaps suggesting that some children who used the Facebook app selected the ‘app’
option.
13
Initial experience of gambling
Among the small sub-set of children (50 respondents) who had played gambling-style games
online and gambled for money, the survey found a roughly equal split between those who had
gambled to win real money first (33%) and those who had tried a gambling-style game first.
14
Perceptions of and reasons for gambling
This section examines children’s perceptions of gambling activity and among those who gamble
looks at their reasons for doing so for the first time.
Perceptions of gambling
The survey results suggest that, as in 2015, the majority of 11-15 year olds have a good
understanding of the potential risks associated with gambling. Almost six in ten (58%)
agreed/strongly agreed that ‘gambling is dangerous’ and only 9% disagreed/strongly disagreed
with this statement. It is interesting to note that despite the higher prevalence of gambling among
boys, both sexes showed an equal level of agreement that gambling is dangerous and there was
also little variation by age.
Reflecting last year’s results, fewer than one in ten children agreed/strongly agreed with the
statements, ‘gambling is safer if you practice it first’, ‘gambling is an easy way to make money’,
‘the more you gamble the better your chance of winning’ and ‘most people my age gamble’.
15
Reasons for gambling
Children mentioned a wide variety of reasons for having gambled for the first time. The top three
reasons were ‘to make money’ (24%), ‘I thought it would be fun/entertaining’ (23%) and ‘I thought
it would be exciting’ (21%). However, curiosity also played a part with 15% stating ‘I wanted to see
what it was like’, as did family influence and boredom (both 13%).
Boys were more likely than girls to mention all of these reasons except ‘because my family were
doing it’ which was mentioned by 16% of girls compared to only 11% of boys.
Among the 6% of 11-15 year olds who gambled for money for the first time because they had
enjoyed free/practice versions of the games online, 39% had played any gambling game in the
past 7 days, compared to the average participation rate of 16% among all children in this age
group.
16
Gambling advertising and social media
The study also set out to explore the extent to which children are exposed to gambling advertising
via different channels, and how they interact with gambling companies on social media.
Awareness of gambling advertising
As in the 2015 survey, 11-15 year olds were most likely to have seen gambling advertisements on
TV (75% having ever done so, and 40% having seen TV adverts for gambling more than once per
week). This complements previous research by Ofcom (2012) that indicated the growth in the
number of gambling advertising spots over time and children’s high level of exposure to this (see
Other Indicators section).
Exposure to gambling advertising via online channels (separated into ‘social media websites’ and
‘other websites’ in the 2016 survey) remained higher than via posters/billboards and newspapers.
63% of children had ever seen gambling adverts on social media (24% more than once a week)
and 57% on other websites (19% more than once a week).
17
Gambling companies followed on social media
In addition to the majority of children having seen gambling advertisments on social media, the
survey found that almost one in ten (9%) follow gambling companies on social media sites, with
the most popular individual sites for this being Facebook (5%), Instagram (4%) and YouTube (4%).
One in three 11-15 year olds who follow gambling companies on social media (31%) had spent
their own money on any gambling activity in the past seven days, making them twice as likely to
have done so as children who do not follow any gambling companies online (15%).
18
The impact of seeing gambling advertisements and posts on social media by gambling companies
The survey also explored the impact on gambling activity of seeing adverts for gambling
companies and posts on social media by gambling companies.
Based on the claims of respondents, we found little evidence of a direct influence on gambling
activity. When presented with a set of statements describing the impact on their gambling activity,
for both gambling adverts and social media posts, no more than 1% of all 11-15 year olds selected
‘It prompted me to start gambling for the first time’ or ‘It prompted me to increase the amount that I
gamble’.
The majority indicated that they had not gambled/not seen gambling adverts or social media
content. However, the survey does not uncover the potential subconscious effects of advertising
and social media posts which may or may not be influencing young people’s gambling behaviour.
19
20
Problem gambling
This section examines problem gambling in children using the DSM-IV-MR-J problem gambling
screen (Fisher, 2000).14 The DSM-IV-MR-J screen, an established standard used internationally
by academics and researchers, consists of nine components that tap into different behaviours,
feelings or actions indicative of problem gambling.
The core focus of previous ad hoc surveys15 was to profile 12 to 15 year olds who show a
predisposition towards problem gambling behaviours. In order to maximise comparability over
time, the following analysis is based on responses from 12 to 15 year olds only.
Problem gambling screen components
The table below outlines the DSM-IV-MR-J problem gambling screen components.
Components of the DSM-IV-MR-J screen
DSM-IV criteria
Question wording: During the past 12 months’ . . . .
If any of the following
answer criteria are ticked,
that qualifies as 1 point
Preoccupation
Have you found yourself thinking about gambling or
planning to gamble
‘Often’
Tolerance
Have you needed to gamble with more and more money
to get the amount of excitement you want
‘Sometimes’ or ‘often’
Withdrawal
Have you felt bad or fed up when trying to cut down on
gambling
‘Sometimes’ or ‘often’
Loss of control
Have you ever spent much more than you planned to on
gambling
‘Sometimes’ or ‘often’
Escape
Have you gambled to escape from problems or when
you were feeling bad
‘Sometimes’ or ‘often’
Chasing
After losing money on gambling have you returned
another day, try to win back the money you lost
‘More than half the time’ or
‘every time’
Lying
Has you gambling ever led to the following: telling lies to
family/friends or others
‘Once or twice’ ‘sometimes’ or
‘often’
Have you ever taken money from any of the following
without permission to spend on gambling:
Dinner money or fare money
Illegal acts
If any one or more of these
options are ticked, then
qualifies for one point in total
Money from family
Money from things you’ve sold
Money from outside the family
Somewhere else
Has your gambling ever led to the following:
Risked
relationships
Arguments with family/friends or others
Missing school
If any of the following are
ticked, then qualifies for one
point in total: ‘once or twice’,
‘sometimes’ or ‘often’
Using the DSM-IV-MR-J screen, a child who confirmed that they had undertaken four or more of
the behaviours / actions (from the overall screen of nine components) is considered a problem
gambler, a score of two or three is used to identify an at-risk gambler and a score of zero or one
indicates a social gambler.16
Results for each of the nine gambling screen components are given in the Appendix. Due to the
small base sizes the findings need to be interpreted with caution17.
14
Fisher, S (2000). Developing the DSM-IV Criteria to Identify Adolescent Problem Gambling in Non-Clinical
Populations, Journal of Gambling Studies Volume 16 No. 2/3.
15 Ipsos MORI for the National Lottery Commission (2009), ‘The British Survey of Children, the National Lottery and
Gambling, 2008-2009’ and (2006), ‘Under 16s and the National Lottery’.
16 Children who indicate at any point in the Problem Gambler Screen that they have not gambled in the past 12 months
are excluded from the analysis.
17 Small base sizes preclude analysis of ‘At risk’ and ‘Problem’ gamblers by index of multiple deprivation and other
factors such as area.
21
Prevalence of social, at risk or problem gambling
Our findings indicate that 0.4% of children aged 12-15 are problem gamblers (compared to 0.6% in
the 2015 study), 1.6% are ‘at-risk’ gamblers (compared to 1.2% in 2015) and 10.2% are ‘social’
gamblers (compared to 13.0% in 2015).
The problem gambling rate of 0.4% among 12-15 year olds is very similar to the latest available
adult rate (based on England and Scotland) of 0.5%.18
NatCen for the Gambling Commission (2014). Gambling Behaviour in England and Scotland – Headline findings from
the Health Survey for England 2012 and Scottish Health Survey 2012.
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/headline%20report%20to%20gc%20v2.0.pdf
18
22
As in 2015, the data shows that boys are more likely than girls to be classified as problem, at risk
and social gamblers. Comparative adult data for those aged 16 and over also shows a notably
higher rate of problem gambling among men (0.8%) than among women (0.1%).19
Prevalence of social, at risk or problem gambling amongst key sub-groups
Type of gambler20
2016
Social
At risk
Problem
2,128
10.2%
(n=218)
1.6%
(n=34)
0.4%
(n=8)
Boys
1,023
14.6%
1.9% (n=19)
0.6% (n=6)
Girls
1,105
6.2%
1.4% (n=15)
0.2% (n=2)
12
570
9.6%
1.7% (n=10)
0.4% (n=2)
13
552
10.0%
1.8% (n=10)
0.4% (n=2)
14
563
11.0%
1.2% (n=7)
0.6% (n=3)
15
470
9.8%
1.4% (n=7)
0.2% (n=1)
Total
Gender
Age
Base: All children aged 12-15 (2,128)
NatCen for the Gambling Commission (2014). Gambling Behaviour in England and Scotland – Headline findings from
the Health Survey for England 2012 and Scottish Health Survey 2012.
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/headline%20report%20to%20gc%20v2.0.pdf
20 Respondents classified irrespective of whether they completed all nine elements of screen.
19
23
4 The National Lottery
This section of the report focuses on The National Lottery, detailing when and where children buy
National Lottery tickets or scratchcards, who they with at the time and whether they or another
person hands over the money at the till.
Where reference is made to National Lottery play, this includes tickets bought for the main
National Lottery draw (Lotto), National Lottery scratchcards, and any other National Lottery drawbased games (EuroMillions, Thunderball, HotPicks). In interpreting the findings, it is also important
to note that the following results are based on children who have bought National Lottery tickets or
scratchcards, and are not based on all children.
When National Lottery tickets or scratchcards are bought
Children aged 11-15 who play National Lottery games are most likely to buy a ticket or a
scratchcard at the weekend (48%), followed by during the school holidays (33%). While 15%
mentioned purchasing after school, in the evening, only 1% specifically stated that they purchase
on the way home from school.
Year-on-year the survey demonstrates that National Lottery play is most likely to happen at the
weekend, correlating with the finding that children are typically with their parents when a ticket or
scratchcard is bought. Play at the weekend is particularly high among 11 year olds (63%)
whereas boys, and 13-14 year olds are more likely to purchase during the school holidays.
24
Where National Lottery tickets or scratchcards are bought
Children who purchase National Lottery tickets or scratchcards typically purchase these from a
corner shop/newsagent (42%) or from a supermarket (35%). The proportion of tickets or
scratchcards bought from a corner shop/newsagent has declined by 9% over the last two years.
25
Who accompanies children when they buy National Lottery tickets and scratchcards
The 2016 survey data shows that the last time they bought National Lottery tickets or
scratchcards, the vast majority of 11-15 year olds were with someone aged 16 or older (91%);
typically a parent/guardian (84%), followed by brothers or sisters aged 16 or older (10%) or friends
aged 16 or older (7%).
However, 4% of 11-15 year olds buying National Lottery tickets or scratchcards were on their own
and a further 4% were with brothers, sisters or friends aged 15 or younger, indicating that the age
restriction of 16 and above for playing National Lottery games is not always successful.
Children who were on their own when purchasing National Lottery tickets were more likely to be at
the higher end of the survey age group (8% of 15 year olds), from a household where no parent
works (11%), from a lower-affluence family (11%) and in the lower academic achievement group
(13%).
26
Who hands the money over at the till
In order to explore the circumstances around the point of purchase, 11-15 year olds who stated
they had bought a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard, were asked who handed over the money
at the till. In line with previous years, the vast majority stated that their parent handed over the
money at the till (78%).
However, 6% of 11-15 year olds who buy a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard hand the money
over themselves (rising from 1% of 11 year olds to 8% of 14 and 15 year olds).
Children who agreed with the statement, ‘The more you gamble, the better the chance of winning’
(13%) and those who play online gambling-style games (11%) were more likely than average to
hand over the money at the till themselves.
27
5 Other indicators
This section brings together various other relevant sources of data which provide useful context
and complementary perspectives to the main body of research data indicated by the Young
People and Gambling survey.
These sources include external data and literature on other activities such as smoking and
drinking alcohol, young people’s gambling rates in other European countries, parental influence
and problem gambling and mental health.
In addition we have included relevant data held by the Gambling Commission on underage
challenges on licenced premises, test purchase results, confidential helpline data, compliance data
on operators’ capacity to exclude underage activity, records of underage access breaches, and
information about our work in the area of shared regulation and local risk assessments.
Gambling prevalence in the context of other underage activities
Comparisons can be made between the prevalence of gambling and the incidence of other
activities among young people. The overall rate of gambling among 11-15 year olds (16% in the
last week) is considerably higher than the comparable figures for smoking, drinking alcohol and
using drugs. Research for the Health and Social Care Information Centre21 found that in 2014:



5% of 11-15 year olds had smoked at least one cigarette in the last week
8% of 11-15 year olds had drunk alcohol in the last week (although this increased with age,
from 1% of 11 year olds to 18% of 15 year olds);
6% of 11-15 year olds had taken drugs in the last month, and 15% had ever taken drugs.
Furthermore, the incidence of underage smoking, drinking and drug use have all been in decline
over the last decade or so.
Gambling prevalence in a European context
Research from a pan-European survey by the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and
Other Drugs (ESPAD)22 provides some context for the prevalence of gambling among young
people in the UK. The ESPAD research covered 15 and 16 year old school students in 35
European countries, but did not include the UK.
The survey found that 14% of 15-16 year olds had gambled for money at least once and 7% had
gambled frequently (2-4 times a month or more often) in the last 12 months. In all countries,
considerably more boys than girls had gambled in the previous year (23% versus 5% on average)
or gambled frequently (12% versus 2%).
In comparison, the Gambling Commission’s survey data shows that 15% of 15-16 year olds in
England and Wales have gambled in the past week, indicating a rate higher than the European
average reported by ESPAD.
In terms of online activity, the ESPAD research indicated that 23% of students used the internet for
online gaming regularly (at least four times in the last 7 days), with this activity much more
common among boys (39%) than girls (7%). Online money gambling was less common, at an
average of 3% across all countries surveyed.
Health & Social Care Information Centre (2015). Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England –
2014. http://www.espad.org/sites/espad.org/files/ESPAD_report_2015.pdf
22 ESPAD (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) (2016). ESPAD Report 2015 – Results from the
European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs.
http://www.espad.org/sites/espad.org/files/ESPAD_report_2015.pdf
21
28
Parental influence
There is significant body of evidence that points to the role of parents in normalising gambling as a
banal activity; making it part of everyday families’ activities and pastimes.
Other family members such as grandparents and siblings can expose young people to gambling
behaviour. Similarly, friendship groups can encourage competitiveness and coercion.
A recent publication measuring parental influence showed no significant association with online
participation amongst young people23. This suggests that parents are limited in trying to restrict the
content accessed by their children online.
The key social risk that increases the likelihood of problem gambling in the future is having parents
who introduce their children to gambling at an early age and/or having parents who are heavy
gamblers themselves, and fathers are less likely to discuss problem gambling behaviour and/or view
underage gambling as a serious issue24.
Parents may not identify gambling as a priority issue to bring up with their children. The Responsible
Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB) has advised that making information readily available (such as
leaflets, online help) may encourage conversations about responsible gambling25.
Similar to adults seeking treatment of problem gambling, a significant barrier to treatment is stigma.
This is made worse in the case of young people as underage gambling is illegal. This means that
underage problem gamblers are less likely to approach formal agencies to seek help. As a result,
the issue of underage problem gambling remains invisible and hidden within/by families.
Problem gambling and mental health
Problem gambling among young people has been identified as existing co-morbid with mental
health issues such as anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts/attempts (a recent publication
shows disproportionately high rates of thoughts/acts of self-harm amongst problem gamblers26).
Those in this category are also more likely to perform poorly at school, consume alcohol and
drugs, exhibit anti-social behaviour and have volatile relationships with family and friends.27
However, the evidence base currently cannot answer to what extent these factors were present
prior to the occurrence of problem gambling, or whether problem gambling contributed to these
issues.
King et al, International Gambling Studies (2016) Adolescents’ perceptions of parental influences on commercial and
simulated gambling activities. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14459795.2016.1220611
24 Valentine for the Responsible Gambling Trust (2016). Children and Young People’s Gambling: Research Review.
http://rgtinfohub.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1-june-update-children-young-people-literature-review.pdf
25 Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB) (2014). Young People and Gambling-Related Harm Position Paper.
http://www.rgsb.org.uk/publications.html
26 Lloyd et al. (2016). Thoughts and acts of self-harm, and suicidal ideation, in online gamblers
27 Valentine (2016). Children & Young People’s Gambling: research review
23
29
Gambling where individuals were unable to prove their age
The Gambling Commission publishes authoritative statistics on the regulated gambling industry in
Great Britain28, including a measure of the number of underage challenges carried out on
gambling premises where the individual was unable to prove their age. For licensed premises,
data is available both for challenges upon entry and challenges after the individual has gambled.
While being unable to prove one’s age is not necessarily an indicator of underage activity, these
figures and how they have changed over time provide useful context for the prevalence data
collected in the survey.
During the period April 2014 – March 2015, 576,110 individuals were challenged on the basis of
their age; 545,857 (95%) on entry and 30,253 (5%) having gambled. The total number of reported
challenges decreased by 9% based on the previous year.
The data shows that the vast majority of underage challenges were carried out in the non-remote
betting sector, with 545,689 challenges (where the individual was unable to prove their age) made
at betting premises in the period from April 2014 to March 2015. This volume reflects that fact that
(as of March 2016) there were 8,809 betting shops in Great Britain (which is significantly more
premises than any other sector). The second highest number of underage challenges (where the
individual was unable to prove their age) were made in the arcade sector, with 29,983 challenges
over the same 12 month period.
In addition, the number of individuals challenged having gambled in the remote sector (in the
period November 2014 – September 2015) was 39,125. No historical data (pre-November 2014) is
available for the remote sector.
More detailed information on underage challenge data can be found in the Gambling
Commission’s Industry Statistics report.
28
Industry Statistics April 2011 to September 2015, Gambling Commission.
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Gambling-data-analysis/statistics/Industry-statistics.aspx
30
Underage test purchasing for the five largest betting operators
Under the licensing objectives set out in the Gambling Act, operators are required to ensure they
protect children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP)29 require all casinos and other operators in fee
category C and above to conduct regular test purchasing as a means of assuring the Gambling
Commission that their policies and procedures to prevent underage gambling are robust.
Furthermore, LCCP sets out a ‘best practice’ provision that staff are trained to ask for ID from
anyone who appears to be aged under 21.
By way of example, ‘Think 21’ test purchasing at betting premises is carried out by ‘mystery
visitors’ aged 18 or 19 who attempt to play a gaming machine (after a defined ‘browsing’ period)
and if they have not been challenged up to that point, will then approach the counter to attempt to
place a bet. All the mystery visitors are of a legal age to gamble, so no criminal activity takes
place, even in the case of a failed test.
The Commission has collated ‘Think 21’ test purchase results for the five largest betting operators
in Great Britain (William Hill, Coral, Ladbrokes, Betfred and Paddy Power30) which currently
account for over 90% of betting premises. These indicate that in 2015 testers were challenged
before they were able to gamble in 73% of tests, and a challenge was made at any time (including
challenges made when the tester was playing a gaming machine or placing a bet at the counter) in
85% of tests. In the first 6 months of 2016, both figures show an improvement, with a challenge
made before gambling on 78% of occasions and a challenge at any point during 89% of tests.31
29
LCCP is a significant part of the framework by which the Gambling Commission upholds the licensing objectives set
out in the Gambling Act 2015. http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Publications-consultations/LCCP.aspx
30 Each of the operators included in these figures tests each of their premises at least once a year. There will also be a
number of premises that are chosen for extra testing on the basis of risk and/or previous test failures.
31 This figure includes some tests we would regard as a ‘fail’ because the challenge happened too late in the test.
31
Confidential Helpline data
The Gambling Commission runs a confidential intelligence line which allows operators and
members of the public to call the Commission about non-compliance with licence conditions and
codes of practice and illegal gambling-related activity, including underage gambling.
Analysis of confidential helpline data for the 12 months from October 2015-September 2016
reveals that 8% of calls (out of a total of 355) related to underage gambling activity.
It is important to note that the Gambling Commission is not able to verify all of the claims made in
calls to the confidential intelligence line, however this data provides some further evidence of the
prevalence of underage gambling, particularly in bookmakers, bingo premises and arcades.
Compliance data on operators’ capacity to exclude underage activity
The Gambling Commission conducts a variety of activities to ensure that operators are complying
with the conditions of their operating licences and relevant codes of practice. These include
assessing the capacity of operators to exclude those aged under 18 (under 16 for lotteries) from
gambling or attempting to gamble. Compliance Managers use a set of Operational Guidance
Notes (OGN)32 to assist them in recording accurate and consistent gradings for compliance
assessments of gambling operators or premises. The outcomes of the assessments are recorded
as ‘good’, ‘adequate’, ‘just adequate’, or ‘inadequate’.
From October 2015 to September 2016, the Commission conducted 440 assessments of an
operator’s capacity to exclude underage persons. Of these, 3% (13 operators or premises) were
recorded as ‘inadequate’. This compares with 653 underage assessments in the previous 12
months, of which 5.5% (36 operators or premises) were ‘inadequate’.
Whilst only a sample of operators are represented by these figures, they show that most of the
operators assessed had functioning processes in place, and that there was a slight improvement
in the sample results since the year prior. When viewed against other compliance activity (e.g. age
verification test purchasing), this data provides an indication of the level of robustness of controls
put in place by operators to prevent underage gambling.
32
The OGNs are currently being reviewed to ensure they account for the complexity of issues they assess.
32
Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) data on underage access licence
breaches
LCCP data for October 2015 – September 2016 shows 50 breaches relating to underage access
at gambling premises, representing 6% of all recorded breaches33. In the previous 12 month
period, from October 2014 – September 2015, there were 51 underage breaches which was also
6% of the total number of LCCP breaches reported to the Commission in that period.
Shared regulation and local risk assessments
The Gambling Commission works in partnership with Licensing Authorities (LAs), law enforcement
bodies and others to develop and maintain a shared regulatory framework for the delivery of
licensing objectives.
As part of its commitment to ensure a more local approach to regulation, the Commission set out a
new requirement in April 2016 for premises licence holders to conduct a local risk assessment of
each of their current premises.
Local risk assessments are required to ensure that premises are properly staffed and prepared to
manage any risks arising from the local landscape, including the demographic profile of the
surrounding community and the presence of vulnerable groups, and the proximity of local
treatment centres and hostel accommodation.
Risk considerations in relation to underage sales include:





Whether there is a school nearby
Line of sight from the counter to gambling machines
How close any machines are to the entrance door
Staffing levels when a local college closes and the students come out
Using a Think 21 or Think 25 policy
LAs take a variety of actions in relation to underage risk. For example, when a gambling premises
fails underage testing on more than one occasion, imposing conditions on the premises licence
obliging the operator to employ a third party tester for a period of time, to provide reports to the LA
of progress and to evidence staff training in relation to underage sales.
33
The data is based on licence breaches reported to the Gambling Commission and may not accurately reflect the
actual number of breaches.
33
6 Appendix
Problem Gambling Screen inputs
This section shows the results for each of the nine individual components which contribute to the
DSM-IV-MR-J problem gambling screen. The results in this section are based on all 11-15 year
olds.
DSM-IV criteria
1. Preoccupation
Results
The majority of children (86%) never find themselves thinking about
gambling or planning to gamble. However, 4% are ‘often’ or
‘sometimes’ in this situation, boys (6%) more so than girls (1%).
Children with lower academic achievement (classified as doing not
very/not at all well at school) are more likely to fall into this category
(8%), as are only children (6%).
2. Tolerance
Only 1% of children need to sometimes/often gamble with more
money to get the amount of excitement they want.
3. Withdrawal
Only 1% of children indicate that they have sometimes/often felt bad
or fed up when trying to cut down on gambling.
4. Loss of control
Loss of control in regards to spending on gambling is attributed to 1%
of the overall sample.
5. Escape
1% of children state that they sometimes/often gamble to help them
escape from problems or from when they are feeling bad.
6. Chasing
The level of ‘chasing’ among 11-15 year olds is also very low, with
only 1% returning to win their money back more than half the time or
every time after losing money by gambling.
7. Lying
Few children suggest that their gambling sometimes/often leads to
telling lies to family, friends or others (1%).
8. Illegal acts
Overall, 2% of children have taken money without permission, either
from their family or outside of their family, out of their dinner/fare
money, from things they have sold or from somewhere else, to spend
on gambling.
The sub-groups of children that are more likely to have taken money
without permission include past-week National Lottery players (11%),
boys (4%) and those with poorer academic achievement (5%).
9. Risked relationships
1% of 11-15 year olds say their gambling sometimes or often leads to
arguments with family, friends or others. The proportion of children
who suggest that their gambling sometimes/often results in borrowing
money from family, friends or others or missing school is also 1%.
Small base sizes prevent sub-group analysis of the children defined under each component as
having a problem with gambling. However, taken together, past week gamblers, either on the
National Lottery or in general, and those who have played online gambling-style games, are more
likely to exhibit the characteristics outlined above.
34
Gambling Commission November 2016
Keeping gambling fair and safe for all
For further information or to register your interest in the Commission please visit our website at:
www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk
Copies of this document are available in alternative formats on request.
Gambling Commission
Victoria Square House
Victoria Square
Birmingham B2 4BP
T 0121 230 6666
F 0121 230 6720
E [email protected]
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