UKGC study finds higher gambling harm among ethnic minority groups despite lower participation

The UK Gambling Commission published new research on 27 October indicating that people from ethnic minority backgrounds in Great Britain are at higher risk of gambling-related harm than white participants, although their overall participation in gambling is lower.

The study combined data from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Gambling Survey for Great Britain. Researchers from NatCen and the University of Glasgow pooled the three years to compare white, mixed or multiple ethnic, Asian, black and other ethnic groups. They found notable differences in habits, levels of risk and reported consequences, as well as gaps in need for help and use of support services.

White participants were more likely to have gambled in the four weeks before the survey, but much of that gap came from National Lottery and charity lottery play. When people who had only bought lottery tickets were excluded, the participation differences narrowed. Ethnic minority participants reported greater engagement with other forms of gambling. Those from mixed or multiple ethnic backgrounds were about five times more likely than white participants to have placed in-person bets on event outcomes. Mixed or multiple ethnic and black participants were also more likely to have used at least three gambling types in the four-week period.

Problem Gambling Severity Index scores were higher across all ethnic minority groups. The share of the population scoring 8 or more ranged from 1.9% among white participants to 7.7% among those from mixed or multiple ethnic backgrounds. Recent gamblers from ethnic minorities were also more likely to report serious consequences such as relationship breakdowns and major financial losses.

Differences in demographics, socioeconomic circumstances and gambling participation explained some of the gap, but not most of it. The disparities were larger among people with lower PGSI scores. Among recent gamblers scoring zero, 2.7% of white participants reported at least one other possible adverse outcome, compared with 7.0% to 10.6% across ethnic minority groups. This suggests current risk measures may not fully capture some individuals' difficulties.

Ethnic minority participants were more likely to seek help, yet help-seeking still fell short of indicated need. About three-quarters of participants scoring three or higher on the PGSI had not accessed any support, regardless of ethnicity. The UKGC said the findings add to its evidence base and that further research with people who have first-hand experience of gambling harm could help explain the differences and shape prevention and support strategies.