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March 2023 - Sport, Leisure and Tourism

Seven in 10 university students have gambled in the last 12 months: A survey has revealed that 71% of UK university students have gambled in the last year, with a quarter of these at 'risk of harm'. Half of the respondents who had gambled said that it has impacted their university experience.

The Censuswide survey polled 2,003 students across the UK for the education charity Ygam and Gamstop, the national online self-exclusion service.

Of the 71% who had gambled in the last year, the research found that while '28% were at 'moderate risk' from gambling, a further quarter showed evidence of 'problem gambling' in terms of their behaviour (24%).

As a result of gambling, 13% of students said they had struggled to pay for food, while 10% said they had missed lectures as a result.

A further 10% said gambling had affected their assignments and grades, while 9% said it had caused difficulties in paying rent and/or bills.

Support from universities

The research revealed that more than half the students who had gambled in the last 12 months did not know that help was available to them through the university (45%).

When asking about the amounts typically spent when gambling, the survey revealed that a third of student gamblers parted with between £11-£20 per week while almost a quarter (23%) spent between £21-£50. A smaller but worrying percentage spent between £51-£100 per week on gambling (13%).

Respondents were asked how they paid for their gambling activity, with 8% saying they borrowed from friends and family, while 6% used payday loans. Just 11 % said they won money in a typical week.

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