Gambling and young people

Gambling age limits for young people in the UK

In Great Britain, you must be 18 to gamble online, to enter a casino or betting shop, or to buy National Lottery tickets and scratchcards. Licensed operators must verify a customer's age and identity before they can deposit or gamble, and that includes free bets and bonuses. Our explainer on age verification at online casinos covers how those checks work.

The National Lottery age changed recently. The government decided in its December 2020 consultation response (opens in a new tab) to raise the minimum age for all National Lottery games, including scratchcards and online instant win games, from 16 to 18. Online sales to 16 and 17 year olds were planned to stop in April 2021, and the legal change took effect on 1 October 2021.

Category D machines are the low-stake machines found in family entertainment centres and seaside arcades. The government decided on 16 May 2024 to make it a criminal offence to invite, cause or permit a child or young person to use cash-out Category D slot-style machines, building on the voluntary industry ban.

Young people and gambling: what the official figures show

The Gambling Commission surveys 11 to 17 year olds every year in schools. Its Young People and Gambling 2025 (opens in a new tab) report, published on 13 November 2025 and based on 3,666 pupils completing online questionnaires in class, found that 30% had spent their own money on gambling in the previous 12 months, up from 27% the year before.

Most of this activity is low-stakes and takes place in settings that are legal for children, such as arcades, or informally between friends and family. Even so, the figures show that gambling habits often start well before 18, which is why early conversations matter.

Why young people are more vulnerable to gambling harm

Teenagers and young adults are still developing the ability to weigh risk against reward, and they often have little experience of handling money. Several features of modern gambling can be especially appealing at this age:

• Fast, colourful games that feel similar to video games.
• Small stakes that make spending feel trivial, even though repeated small bets add up.
• Social media and peer culture that celebrate wins and stay silent about losses.
• A belief that skill or knowledge can beat games of chance.

That last belief is worth tackling directly. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so losses are the expected result over time, and no system or pattern changes that. Our answer to whether you can make money from casino games shows the numbers plainly, and the page on the gambler's fallacy explains why a win is never due.

Rules that protect young adults aged 18 to 24

Turning 18 does not remove every protection. Since 21 May 2025, online slot stakes for players aged 18 to 24 have been capped at £2 per spin, compared with £5 for those aged 25 and over. Our guide to online slot stake limits explains how the limits work.

Advertising rules also aim to keep gambling away from younger audiences. Under the CAP Code, gambling ads must not have strong appeal to under-18s (rule 16.3.12, in force since 1 October 2022), and nobody who is or seems under 25 may be shown gambling or playing a significant role in an ad. The ASA guidance on protecting under-18s (opens in a new tab) was updated on 14 October 2025. Separately, the Premier League agreed to remove front-of-shirt gambling logos from the 2026/27 season. Read more in our page on UK gambling advertising rules.

Warning signs of gambling in teenagers

Young people rarely announce that gambling has become a problem. More often, parents notice changes around money, mood or time. None of the signs below proves anything on its own, but a cluster of them is worth a gentle conversation.

Our wider guide to the signs of problem gambling covers adults as well, and many of the same patterns apply.

How to talk to a young person about gambling

An open, calm conversation usually achieves more than a lecture. The aim is for them to feel able to come to you if gambling ever stops feeling like fun.

1. Pick a relaxed moment, such as a car journey or a meal, rather than straight after you find something worrying.
2. Ask what they and their friends think about betting, arcades or gambling-style features in games.
3. Explain simply that every gambling game is built so that players lose more than they win over time.
4. Talk about how adverts and social media show wins and hide losses.
5. Agree what they should do if they or a friend start to feel out of control, including who they can call.
6. Keep the door open: tell them they will not be in trouble for being honest.

Our page on how to talk to someone about gambling has more ideas, written for conversations with adults and young people alike.

Practical steps parents can take at home

Technical controls are not a complete answer, but they reduce easy access while you keep talking. Consider these measures:

• Keep your own casino and betting accounts logged out and protected with passwords or biometrics that children cannot use.
• Do not share cards or payment details on shared devices, and check which cards are saved in app stores.
• Use gambling blocking software such as Gamban on family devices; Halifax and Lloyds offer access to Gamban licences.
• Look at your own bank's gambling block if a young adult in your household is using your accounts.
• Set an example by keeping any gambling of your own within a planned budget.

Why licensed sites matter for young people

Sites licensed by the Gambling Commission must check age and identity before any deposit, take part in GAMSTOP and follow strict rules on advertising and game design. Unlicensed sites aimed at British players offer none of those protections, and they are operating outside British law. Teaching young adults to check a casino licence on the Commission's public register is a useful habit.

Credit cards cannot be used to gamble in Great Britain, and licensed sites must also check that e-wallet money was not loaded from a credit card. Our page on the Gambling Commission explains who sets and enforces these rules.

Where young people and families can get help

Anyone can contact the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare (opens in a new tab), free on 0808 8020 133 at any time, by phone, live chat or WhatsApp. That includes young people worried about their own gambling and parents worried about a child. In England, specialist NHS gambling clinics take self-referrals, and Gamblers Anonymous meetings offer support from people who have been through it.

If you are a parent or sibling affected by someone else's gambling, our guide for family members explains what support exists for you. For a full list of services, see gambling support in the UK, and for every other tool, visit the safer gambling hub.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.