Nearly half of student gamblers are gambling more than they can afford
11th March 2024
In December 2023, Censuswide surveyed 2,000 UK students about their gambling habits. As in the previous two years, the research was commissioned by Gamstop Online (formerly GAMSTOP) and Ygam and asked students about their experiences with gambling.
This year, the survey results showed that six out of ten students had gambled in the last 12 months - the most common motivation was ‘to make money’, with 46% of student gamblers giving this as a reason. Friends were a key influence for gambling for over a third of student gamblers.
Rates of gambling harm were high among students:
- Nearly half of student gamblers said that they bet more than they can afford; the average loss was £35 a week.
- From declining grades to trouble paying for food and bills, 46% reported that their gambling negatively impacted their university experience.
- For 21% of students who gambled, their struggles were severe enough to be classed as ‘problem gambling’.
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