Arcade machines, not bookmakers or casinos, are the top product under-18 gamblers actually use, the Gambling Commission found.
The hit
The Gambling Commission says 74% of UK 11-17 year olds have never gambled, up from 69.6% last year. Of those who had gambled, most used non-age-restricted products, not bookmakers or casinos, according to the regulator’s annual survey.
Why it matters
For operators, the figures back up heavy investment in age verification systems & suggest compliance teams are keeping under-18s out of regulated betting shops & online bookmakers. But some young people are still accessing age-restricted products, the regulator found, with SBC News speculating this may involve parental ID, deep fakes, lax checks at legal bookmakers, or illegal sites.
The record
| Never gambled (11-17s) | 74%, up from 69.6% last year (Gambling Commission) |
|---|---|
| Spent own money gambling in past year | 26%, down from 31% in 2022 (Gambling Commission) |
| Accessed age-restricted products | 5% of 3,867 English & Welsh school children surveyed (Gambling Commission) |
| Reported negative consequences | 0.9%, down from 1.2% in 2025 (Gambling Commission) |
| Any gambling ‘experience’ which could include marketing | 45%, down from 50% in 2022 (Gambling Commission) |
What happens next
Watch for how campaigners & the government respond on gambling advertising exposure, which SBC News cites as one of the UK betting sector’s most hotly debated topics even as participation data improves.
Sources: Under-18s steer clear of UK gambling companies
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