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Youth Gambling Trends in the UK
The data on young people and gambling in the UK tells a story that should concern anyone who works in this space. Thirty percent of young people aged 11 to 17 spent their own money on gambling in the past 12 months — a figure that rose by 3 percentage points in the most recent survey. That number includes lottery tickets, scratch cards and informal bets as well as online gambling, but the trend line is moving in the wrong direction and the online component is growing as digital access becomes easier.
For young adults aged 18 to 24 who have reached legal gambling age, the landscape is different but no less concerning. This age group shows the fastest-growing rate of GamStop self-exclusion registrations — up 40% year-on-year in the second half of 2025, with under-25s comprising 29% of all new registrations. These are young people who gambled, recognised a problem, and took the step to exclude themselves from the licensed market. But self-exclusion from UKGC-licensed sites does not prevent access to offshore platforms like Nine Casino, where the verification gaps are wider and the protective infrastructure is thinner.
Age Verification at Offshore vs UKGC Casinos
The UKGC requires licensed operators to verify a player’s age before allowing them to deposit or play. This is not a checkbox on a registration form — it involves automated identity verification systems that cross-reference the player’s submitted details against government databases, credit reference agencies and other data sources. The verification typically completes within minutes, and the player cannot proceed until their age and identity are confirmed. The system is not perfect, but it creates a meaningful barrier that prevents most underage access attempts.
At Curaçao-licensed platforms like Nine Casino, age verification follows a different model. The registration form includes a date of birth field and a declaration that the player is of legal gambling age. The automated cross-referencing against external databases is not required by Curaçao regulation in the same way. Full identity verification — where a government-issued ID is checked against the stated date of birth — typically occurs at the KYC stage, which is deferred until the first withdrawal request at most offshore platforms.
This gap means that a minor with access to a plausible date of birth, an email address and a payment method can register, deposit and play at an offshore casino without encountering the identity verification barrier until they attempt to withdraw. The deposit is accepted on the basis of the self-declared date of birth. The play proceeds without verification. The check arrives later, at the withdrawal stage, by which point the money has already been wagered and potentially lost. The sequence is designed for adult players, but the verification timing creates a window of access that would not exist at a UKGC-licensed operator.
The £5 stake cap that applies to online slots at UKGC-licensed sites includes a lower threshold for 18-24-year-olds: £2 per spin, effective from May 2025. This age-differentiated approach reflects the evidence that younger adults are more vulnerable to gambling-related harm from high-stake slot play. At offshore platforms, no such age-differentiated limits exist — a newly turned 18-year-old can access the same stake ranges as any other player, without the graduated protective framework that the UKGC has implemented for the youngest legal gamblers.
Young Gamblers by the Numbers: GamStop and Commission Data
The GamStop statistics for young people are among the most telling data points in the UK gambling landscape. In the second half of 2025, GamStop recorded 58,675 new registrations — an average of 319 per day. Among those registrations, 47% chose the maximum five-year self-exclusion period, suggesting that a significant proportion of people who reach the point of self-exclusion want the longest possible protection.
The 40% year-on-year increase in registrations among 16-24-year-olds — yes, GamStop accepts registrations from those under 18 who have accessed gambling despite age restrictions — indicates that young people are encountering gambling harm at a rate that is growing faster than the overall population. Anna Hargrave, then Transition CEO of GambleAware, noted that current regulations covering gambling marketing and advertising online are failing to adequately protect children and young people and communities affected by deprivation. The advertising that reaches young audiences through social media, influencer content and in-game promotions creates awareness and interest in gambling products before young people have the financial literacy or impulse control development to manage the risks effectively.
The consumer trust figure of 71% for UKGC-licensed operators represents a data point that partly reflects parental confidence — households where adults recognise and trust the UKGC brand are more likely to have conversations about which gambling platforms are regulated and which are not. But trust requires awareness, and many young adults entering the gambling market for the first time do not distinguish between licensed and unlicensed platforms. The branding of offshore casinos is designed to look professional and trustworthy, and without the context to evaluate licensing claims, a young player may treat a Curaçao-licensed site as equivalent to a UKGC-licensed one.
What Parents and Guardians Should Know
If you are a parent or guardian reading this, the first thing to understand is that online gambling access is easier to obtain than many adults assume. A young person with a smartphone, a prepaid card or access to a parent’s payment method, and a willingness to enter a false date of birth can register at an offshore casino in under five minutes. The barriers that exist at UKGC-licensed sites — automated age verification against external databases — are largely absent at the registration stage of offshore platforms.
Monitoring payment activity is one of the most effective practical steps. Prepaid cards, e-wallets and cryptocurrency are the payment methods most accessible to young people and least visible to parents. If your child has access to any of these, a conversation about their use is appropriate. UK banks allow parents to set up notifications on junior accounts that flag transactions above a certain threshold, and some banks offer the ability to block gambling-coded merchants entirely.
Device-level restrictions complement financial monitoring. Network-level gambling blocks, available through most UK broadband providers via parental control settings, prevent access to gambling websites across the home network. GamBan software extends this blocking to individual devices including smartphones and tablets, covering offshore sites that parental control lists may not include. Neither solution is foolproof — a determined teenager with mobile data can bypass home network restrictions — but layered protections raise the barrier and create natural moments for conversation.
The conversation itself matters more than any technical block. Research consistently shows that young people who discuss gambling risks with trusted adults are less likely to develop problematic gambling behaviours. The discussion does not need to be confrontational. It can start with the data: 30% of 11-17-year-olds in the UK have gambled with their own money. It can acknowledge that gambling is marketed as entertainment and that the risks are not always obvious. And it can establish that support is available — through GamCare, GambleAware and the National Gambling Helpline — without judgment or punishment if problems arise.
The GamStop and self-exclusion analysis provides the broader context on how the self-exclusion system works and where its coverage ends — information that is relevant both for young adults who may need these tools and for parents who want to understand the support landscape.
Can a minor access Nine Casino?
Nine Casino’s registration process relies on self-declared date of birth at sign-up, with full identity verification deferred until the first withdrawal request. This creates a window where a minor who enters a false date of birth could register, deposit and play before encountering an age verification check. UKGC-licensed operators verify age before the first deposit, providing a stronger barrier to underage access.
What percentage of UK young people gamble?
According to the Gambling Commission’s most recent survey, 30% of young people aged 11 to 17 spent their own money on some form of gambling in the past 12 months, representing a 3 percentage point increase. This includes online gambling, lottery products, scratch cards and informal bets. Among 18-24-year-olds who gamble legally, GamStop self-exclusion registrations increased by 40% year-on-year in H2 2025.
How can parents prevent access to offshore gambling sites?
Practical measures include network-level gambling blocks through broadband provider parental controls, GamBan software on individual devices, monitoring of payment methods including prepaid cards and e-wallets, and bank-level transaction restrictions. No single measure is foolproof, so a layered approach combining technical blocks with open conversation about gambling risks is most effective.