Number of children gambling continues to fall according to new report

The number of children who are gambling has fallen according to the latest set of statistics published by the Gambling Commission on Wednesday.

The 2019 Young People & Gambling survey reported that 11 per cent of 11 to 16-year-olds – equivalent to 350,000 children – had spent their own money gambling in the previous seven days, compared to 14 per cent in 2018.

That figure continues a longer downwards trend, with the figure in 2011 having been 23 per cent.

The rate for young people classified as problem gamblers was 1.7 per cent, or 55,000 children, which was unchanged from the previous year. A further 2.7 per cent were classified as being at risk, compared to 2.2 per cent in 2018.

The research, carried out by Ipsos MORI, found that the most common type of gambling activity among young people was taking part in private bets with friends for money (five per cent), with a further three per cent playing cards with friends for money.

The report also found three per cent of children had bought National Lottery scratchcards in a shop in the past seven days and a further four per cent said say they have played fruit or slot machines in the past seven days.

"This reflects the pattern of previous years and suggests that much of the activity that young people continue to take part in is legal," the report said. However, it also said three per cent had placed a bet at a betting shop.

Gambling Commission executive director Tim Miller said there were three areas in which children participated in gambling – legal, age-restricted products and gambling-style games.

He added: "Any child or young person that experiences harm from these areas is a concern to us and we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to protect them from gambling harms.

"Most of the gambling covered by this report takes place in ways which the law permits, but we must keep working to prevent children and young people from having access to age-restricted products."

Miller said the regulator had taken action to tighten age verification rules, put free-to-play games behind paywalls and clamped down on "irresponsible" products.

Concern remains about gambling-style games such as loot boxes in gaming, over which the commission does not have regulatory control.

Miller added: "Protecting children and young people from gambling harms is a collective responsibility and requires us, other regulators, the government, gambling operators, charities, teachers and parents to work together to make progress."

Tom Watson: attacked lack of government regulationCredit: Phil Harris / Mirrorpix

However, Labour deputy leader Tom Watson attacked the government's 'soft touch' regulation of the gambling industry following the publication of the statistics.

Watson, the shadow culture secretary, said levels of gambling among children remained "stubbornly high".

He added: "One child gambling addict is too many, let alone 55,000, and these figures show one in ten children is gambling every week.

"The government’s soft touch approach to gambling regulation has failed. The next Labour government will bring problem gambling under control with a comprehensive new gambling act, which will bring gambling advertising, spiralling losses and burgeoning in-game gambling products under control."

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