UK Gambling Commission: young men’ pathways into gambling are changing
Teenage boys and young men are encountering gambling in ways that “look very different from previous generations”, with the UK Gambling Commission warning that online culture has blurred the boundary between play and risk, and that vulnerability can build quietly through adolescence into early adulthood.
In a press release published on Thursday, the Commission’s research and impact manager, Lauren Cole, said the regulator had strengthened its evidence base on “early gambling experiences and gateway products” by releasing new qualitative research into the lived experiences of teenage boys and young men.
The findings arrive as ministers, regulators and campaigners grapple with a gambling landscape dominated by smartphones, social media feeds and influencer marketing, a shift that, the Commission argues, has changed not only what young people see but also how they interpret it.
Cole said the new qualitative study, carried out by HumanKind, found that “Today, the boundaries between play and risk are blurred, and gambling content is deeply embedded in the online world—sitting alongside gaming, social media, and entertainment.”
“Risk builds over time” and spikes at key life moments
The Commission said it focused on boys and young men because its latest Young People and Gambling Survey 2025, alongside the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, indicates they are “more likely to experience gambling-related problems than other demographic groups”.
The qualitative work suggests that harm does not always begin with a dramatic turning point. Instead, Cole wrote: “The research highlights that risk among this demographic is cumulative.” She added that it is shaped by a mix of accessibility, social norms, impulsivity and the freedoms that come with growing up.
The report points to moments when vulnerabilities can converge: turning 18, starting paid work or going to university. In Cole’s words, “Risk builds gradually rather than stemming from a single event.”
While gambling is highly visible in the digital lives of boys, the Commission said understanding lags behind confidence. Cole wrote that “gambling literacy among this group is low”, with many participants overestimating their grasp of odds and probability.
One of the most interesting findings concerns the role of influencer content. Cole said the qualitative research aligned with survey results showing “35 percent of boys reported exposure to gambling via influencers, compared to 21 percent of girls.”
The Commission also flagged personality and peer dynamics that may intensify risk. Cole noted that “39 percent of teenage boys identify as risk-takers, compared to 22 percent of girls.”
Gateway products and the “pathways” roadmap
The Commission has increasingly framed youth exposure through the lens of “early gambling experiences and gateway products”, a theme it defines as covering children under 16, 16- and 17-year-olds, and young adults aged 18 to 24, and “what their journeys into gambling look like”.
The regulator says it also includes “new products and emerging activities that are not gambling but have similarities to gambling”, and warns that “The impact of activities that are gambling-adjacent or blur the line between gambling and other hobbies and interests is a key area where further evidence is needed”.
Among the emerging activities it lists are “crypto gambling, crash games or prize draws”, as well as gaming-linked products: “loot boxes and gambling-adjacent aspects of gaming and social media”.
A central question, the UK Gambling Commission says, is whether these activities “act as gateway activities for new gamblers, and if they are likely to contribute to the development of harmful gambling behaviours.”
The regulator is clear about what it does not yet know. “While some research has been published on the relationship between gaming and gambling,” it says, “we currently do not have longitudinal evidence on the impact of this over time”.
Cole echoed that uncertainty in Thursday’s update, saying the Commission’s priority remains “robust longitudinal research to understand how early experiences influence later gambling behaviours and harm”.
The Commission’s roadmap on “pathways into gambling amongst under 18s” also highlights practical drivers that shape harm, including “the role of parental and/or peer influence” and “The impact of financial and social freedoms in early adulthood.”
One way of better understanding what some players may be experiencing comes from clinical settings. In a recent SiGMA News interview, gambling therapist Liz Karter MBE described the dissociative pull some clients report, explaining that over 25 years of clinical work, she has often heard people say, “When I’m gambling, it’s like I don’t exist.”
A widening debate over online exposure
Commenting on the Gambling Commission’s findings, Cole also set out what can be done now, pointing parents and educators to “moments of transition” and “socially reinforced low-level play that can mask emerging harm.” She said recognising how risks can combine, alongside changes in behaviour and mood, may help families identify when gambling or gambling-like activity is shifting from recreation to danger.
The Commission says it is planning further work in this area, including research on young people’s experiences of “TikTok raffles”, which it describes as “emerging as a risk area of interest.”
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