More than half of 17-year-olds have gambled in last 12 months, study reveals

More than half of 17-year-olds have gambled in the last year according to a new study carried out by the University of Bristol.

The findings of the 'Bristol Children of the 90s' study were being unveiled on Thursday at the annual conference of the charity GambleAware, which commissioned the report.

It will add to the pressure the gambling industry is under to take action to protect children and young people from gambling-related harm, although the study itself found that playing the lottery, buying scratch cards and placing private bets with friends were the most common forms of activity.

Researchers spoke to more than 3,500 young people at 17, 20 and 24 years old and found participation in gambling in the past year was reported by 54 per cent of 17-year-olds, which increased to 68 per cent for 20-year-olds and fell to 66 per cent at 24.

GambleAware said the study suggested that people whose parents gambled regularly were more likely to gamble themselves and regular gamblers were also found to have high social media usage and to have been regular players of video games when younger.

Regular gamblers were said to have lower "wellbeing scores" and were at least twice as likely to smoke cigarettes daily and to drink alcohol weekly.

Six to seven per cent of regular gamblers had problems with gambling, the study added, and at the age of 24 these were more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to engage in criminal activity.

GambleAware chief executive Marc Etches said: "GambleAware is focused on keeping people safe from gambling harms.

"In particular, we are concerned to protect children and young people who are growing up in a world where technology makes gambling, and gambling-like activity, much more accessible.

"One in eight 11 to 16-year olds are reported as following gambling businesses on social media, for example."

Professor Alan Emond of Bristol Medical School added: "Although many young people gambled without any harm, a small minority of males showed problem gambling behaviours associated with poor mental health and wellbeing, involvement in crime, and potentially harmful use of drugs and alcohol.

"To protect these vulnerable young people from gambling harm requires a combination of education, legislation and appropriate treatment services."

This week, the NHS Health Survey for England 2018 reported that 54 per cent of adults had participated in some form of gambling in the last 12 months, with the figure dropping to 40 per cent when the National Lottery was excluded.

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