Ask anyone what challenges young people in the United Kingdom are facing today, and you will likely hear familiar answers: rising living costs, struggles with mental health, or worries about the future. What is discussed far less often, however, is how these pressures intersect with something else: gambling.
Youth gambling poverty and mental health difficulties have begun to form a troubling cycle. Each feeds into the other, creating habits that are hard to break. It is an issue GamLEARN comes across regularly in its work with families and young people.
Gambling Among Young People: A Quiet but Widespread Habit
There is a common assumption that gambling is strictly an adult activity. But the data paints a different picture. According to the Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling Report 2024, 27% of students who completed the online self-completion surveys reported having spent their own money on gambling in the 12 months before taking part in the survey. Moreover, 21% of young people were spending their money on regulated forms of gambling and 15% on unregulated forms.
That figure covers things like lottery tickets and scratch cards, but also online sports betting and casino-style games. Many young people, particularly those affected by youth gambling poverty, access these platforms through someone else’s account or stumble across less regulated websites.
And then there is gaming. Many video games now include mechanics that feel remarkably similar to gambling, particularly loot boxes. These in-game purchases involve paying money for a random reward, blurring the lines between play and risk-taking.
Where Poverty Comes In
In communities where money is tight and options feel limited, youth gambling can look like an opportunity—a chance to turn a few pounds into something more.
The Office for National Statistics reported in its Households Below Average Income Report 2024 that nearly 3 in 10 children in the UK live in relative poverty. When that is your starting point, gambling may seem less like a game and more like a financial strategy.
It is worth being honest about the fact that gambling is sometimes culturally normalised in lower-income areas. You see it in advertising, local betting shops, and in how people talk about money.
But gambling very rarely pays off. Instead of easing financial stress, it often makes it worse. Losses build up, debts mount, and what starts as occasional betting can quickly become an unhealthy coping mechanism.
The Mental Health Piece
When young people gamble, the stakes go beyond money. There is a strong connection between gambling and mental health problems, especially when poverty is already part of the picture.
Public Health England’s Gambling-related Harms: Evidence Review (2021) found a clear link between problem gambling and issues like anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. It is easy to see how this plays out. For a young person under stress, gambling might feel like a form of relief or escape. But when losses and guilt build up, things quickly turn darker.
It is also worth remembering that mental health struggles can lead to gambling, rather than only being caused by it. If someone feels isolated, hopeless, or trapped, gambling offers a momentary sense of control or excitement. Unfortunately, that feeling does not last.
The situation worsened during the pandemic, when many young people found themselves cut off from friends, school, and normal routines. Online habits, including gambling, became harder to monitor.
What Can Be Done Close to Home?
While large-scale policy changes are important, there is plenty that can be done at a family or community level, too.
Starting Conversations Early – It helps if parents start conversations early, especially about things like gaming and social media habits, where gambling-like behaviour can hide.
Education in Schools – Many schools already include gambling in personal, social, health and economic education to allow for more consistent, thoughtful teaching on money, risk, and mental health.
Recognising the Warning Signs – Changes in mood, secretive behaviour, unexplained money issues—these are all possible indicators that a young person is struggling.
Supporting Community Spaces – Youth centres, group sessions, sports clubs, peer support groups, and other non-digital spaces can give young people alternatives to gambling. The more accessible and welcoming these places are, the less likely gambling becomes a go-to activity.
Frequently Asked Questions on Youth Gambling Poverty
Why do young people start gambling in the first place?
There is no single reason. For some, it begins as a bit of fun, through betting on sports or buying scratch cards with friends. For others, it might be about trying to make money or coping with stress.
What role does poverty play in gambling among young people?
Poverty can make gambling feel more appealing because it offers what looks like a way to change difficult circumstances. When money is tight and opportunities feel limited, the idea of winning a big prize can be tempting.
How can parents tell if their child might have a gambling issue?
It is not always obvious. Things to watch for include mood swings, unexplained money issues, secretive behaviour, or being overly focused on sports results and gaming apps.
Moving Forward: What Young People Deserve
At the heart of all this is a simple point: young people should not feel that gambling is their only option. Whether as a way to cope, to socialise, or to try and improve their finances, gambling is a poor substitute for real opportunities and support.
Organisations like GamLEARN offer spaces where families and individuals can seek advice without judgment. For support or more information, contact us at info@gamlearn.org.uk.
