The Born in Bradford Age of Wonder, one of the UK’s largest research studies of adolescence, surveyed more than 7,000 school pupils aged 12–15.
The study highlights the growing influence of gambling among young people and the complex ways in which gambling-like activities are becoming entangled with everyday life.
29 per cent have gambled
Out of more than 7,000 pupils aged 12 to 15 surveyed across Bradford, 29 per cent reported having spent money on gambling at least once.
The figure was highest among white British pupils, 46 per cent of whom reported gambling, compared to just 16 per cent of Pakistani British adolescents.
Gillian Santorelli, principal statistician at Born in Bradford, said: “Our study shows that gambling behaviours – and gambling-like features in online gaming – are already present among pupils in the early secondary school years.
“We saw broadly similar levels of reported gambling across Years 8, 9 and 10, which suggests that prevention work needs to start early.
“Very few pupils reported spending money on gambling websites or apps, so the issue is not only about formal online gambling platforms.
“It is also about the more everyday ways that young people may encounter gambling or gambling-like activity, including fruit machines, private bets, in-game purchases and loot boxes.
“This gives schools, families and local services useful evidence to support earlier conversations about gambling-related harm.”
Children stumble across gambling offline and informally
The study found that formal online gambling platforms were not the primary avenue for underage gambling.
Instead, young people most commonly encountered gambling through offline and informal channels, such as fruit or slot machines, private bets with friends, and in-game purchases that feature gambling-like mechanics.
Fruit or slot machines were identified as the most common form of gambling, with one in six young people reporting having used them.
The connection between gaming and gambling
More than half of pupils said they had spent real money within online games, and over one in four had purchased loot boxes – randomised digital reward packs that share structural similarities with gambling.
The findings have been welcomed by the Gambling-Related Harms (GRH) Group, led by Bradford Council, as they add to the evidence base around gambling harm affecting families.
The council has previously estimated that approximately 10,302 children in Bradford live in households where an adult may have gambling-related support needs.
Craig Blundred, director of public health at Bradford Council, said: “This study highlights the significant potential impact of gambling-related harms on children, young people and families, and reinforces the importance of our prevention, education and early intervention work.”
In response, the council and its partners are delivering a GRH Action Plan focused on four key themes, including raising awareness among children and young people.
The plan is backed by targeted actions designed to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm across the district.
Part of this approach includes the Youth Education Service (YES) Bradford, which delivers health and harm reduction education in primary and secondary schools.
The programme covers gambling harms, as well as other risk behaviours such as vaping, smoking, alcohol and drug use.
The Born in Bradford findings offer further support for this early intervention approach.
The Born in Bradford Age of Wonder study is a seven-year project tracking the lives of secondary school students across 20 key areas from mental health and nutrition to gaming, the environment and AI use.
This study is published as a preprint and currently undergoing peer review on the open research platform Wellcome Open Research.