Study: 46% of students who gamble are spending more than they can afford
New research commissioned by Ygam and GAMSTOP claim 15% of students lose more than £50 a week, leading to concerns over university experience.
The third Annual Student Gambling Study has claimed almost half of university student across the UK are spending more on gambling than they can afford.
In research commissioned by Ygam and GAMSTOP, and conducted by Censuswide, 2,000 students across the UK were surveyed, with the study finding 60% had gambled in the previous 12 months – a decrease from 71% from the prior year.
The research also found 46% of those surveyed admitted gambling had impacted their university experience, leading to missed deadlines and stresses surrounding having to pay for food.
Males spent more than females according to the survey, with students losing an average of £35.25 a week and 15% of student gamblers losing £50 or more per week.
The study did reveal that just under half of university students who gamble are spending more than they can afford.
The most common form of gambling among students surveyed was the National Lottery at 25%, closely followed by online sports betting at 23%,
However, online sports betting was more popular for males than females, 33% compared to 14%, with online casino coming in at 20% and both esports and online poker at 15% and 14.3% respectively.
For females, 25% play the national lottery with online bingo next at 18% and online scratch cards third at 15%.
The survey showed that 32% of student gamblers are funding their playing by using their savings, while 23% are using their student loan, 10% are using money given to them by their parents and 8% are in their overdrafts.
When asked why they gambled, 46% said they played to make money while 36% said they gambled for fun with friends or their peers.
Gambling Minister Stuart Andrew MP said the government was introducing several measures, including financial risk checks, to protect young gamblers.
Andrew said: “While millions of people gamble safely and without harm, we know that young adults can be more vulnerable to gambling related harms, which is why we recently introduced online slot limits specifically for 18–24-year-olds.
“Alongside this, we are introducing a host of measures this year that will better protect young people from gambling harms, including financial risk checks, tighter controls on advertising, and marketing and a statutory levy on gambling operators.”
Dr Jane Rigbye, Ygam CEO, added: “Since last year’s report, students have faced increased financial strain amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis. D
“Despite a notable decrease in gambling participation rates among students over the past three years, problem gambling prevalence rates remain stable, significantly higher than those in the general population.
“We know the multifaceted harms associated with gambling extend beyond financial implications, and any level of harm is unacceptable.
“With gambling seemingly entrenched in university culture and participated in by the majority of students, the importance of our educational programmes with students and universities cannot be overstated.
“There is a growing demand for our training and resources from universities that recognise the necessity of implementing harm prevention measures. We encourage all those working in university settings to work to implement harm prevention strategies on campus, and we are ready to support them to do this effectively.”