The latest data from NHS England estimates that 5% of adults in England display at-risk or problem gambling behaviours, whilst less than 1% of adults are currently classified as problem gamblers.
The figures are drawn from the Health Survey for England 2024 (HSE 2024), providing official public health data on health conditions and behavioural factors across the adult population. The survey covers England only and excludes Scotland and Wales.
The HSE tracks trends in health conditions and prevalence related to adult cigarette smoking, use of e-cigarettes (vaping), alcohol consumption, physical activity and gambling participation.
NHS England data places gambling harm within a wider public-health landscape that also includes obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and mental health conditions among adults.
Audiences are reminded to distinguish between diagnosed health conditions and behavioural risk factors that contribute to or worsen illness.
Under the HSE methodology, gambling harm is measured using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), which identifies individuals displaying low-risk, moderate-risk and problem gambling behaviours.
The survey shows that less than 1% of adults are classified as problem gamblers, a broader 5% fall within the combined at-risk category, highlighting early-stage harm exposure alongside severe cases.
Dataset revealed no significant disparity in the risk of gambling harms in English communities. A breakdown referenced the Yorkshire-Humber at 7% as the region with the highest share of gambling risk (PGSI +1) recorded by HSE. Most regions remain within the aggregate of 5-to-6%, with the East Midlands recording the lowest rates of 3%.
A clear disparity is witnessed in gender data, as a far wider 3–7% of adults display early or moderate signs of gambling-related harm, heavily concentrated among men (6-to-11%) and more pronounced across northern and coastal regions. This trend underscores the government’s pivot toward population-level harm prevention rather than focusing solely on the most extreme cases.
Historical analysis of HSE data details that the prevalence of at-risk and problem gambling has remained broadly stable over the past decade, despite generational changes to UK gambling and its engagement with the public.
Of significance, the HSE data is framed differently to other methodologies and datasets used by UK authorities. Research from the UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) Gambling Survey of Great Britain 2024 tracks problem gambling at 2.7% of UK adults, at-risk gambling at 3.1% and low-risk vulnerabilities at 8.8%.
The divergence reflects methodology rather than a contradiction of research, with NHS England showcasing broader harm exposure alongside severe cases. At the same time, the UKGC focuses on addiction-level problem gambling needed for its regulatory oversight of UK gambling.
Tracking other vice-related behaviours, the HSE records smoking prevalence at around 12–14% of adults, in line with current NHS and ONS estimates. Harmful alcohol consumption affects roughly one in five adults, reflecting established UK public-health thresholds.
Within the broader health burden facing England, the NHS identifies chronic pain and obesity as among the most pressing public-health challenges, affecting 26% and 30% of adults respectively – levels that far exceed gambling-related harm prevalence and continue to drive long-term demand on healthcare services.
NHS exercises full levy control
As of April 2025, NHS England formally assumed full control of the statutory Gambling Harms Levy, marking a significant shift in how harm prevention, treatment and research are funded and governed across the UK.
Under this new structure, the NHS collaborates with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on how levy revenues are split between prevention programmes, clinical treatment services and independent research. In 2026, the three bodies are set to introduce a new national framework designed to support organisations and projects focused on improving the detection, early intervention and treatment of gambling-related harm within communities.
The transition embeds gambling harm firmly within the UK’s public-health system, reinforcing the NHS’s broader mandate that problem gambling should be addressed not solely as a regulatory issue, but as a population-level health risk impacting individuals, families and local services — alongside other behavioural harms such as smoking and alcohol misuse.
