Nearly half of student gamblers are gambling more than they can afford

We are pleased to announce the appointments of Jo Costello and David Spruce as new Non‑Executive Directors, who will be joining the Gamstop Group at the beginning of June. Their combined expertise will continue to enhance the governance and strategic oversight of the organisation at an important time for the sector. Jo brings extensive experience across safeguarding, membership services and frontline support for vulnerable people, having worked across the third sector, education and social care. Her background in supporting individuals to regain stability and control, alongside her leadership at Rape Crisis England & Wales, will provide valuable insight as we continue to evolve our services. David brings more than three decades of senior financial and operational leadership, with experience across global organisations including Esso, Mars, JP Morgan, SunGard and QBE Insurance. He also holds significant governance roles across major charities and public bodies, contributing deep expertise in financial oversight, risk management and strategic planning. We are also delighted to welcome Matt Burgiss as our first Head of External Affairs. His highly respected expertise across both prevention and support, combined with his strong sector knowledge, lived experience and deep understanding of the benefits of using Gamstop, will significantly strengthen our external engagement strategy.

Today we’ve published the latest Annual Student Gambling Survey, now in its fifth year. Jointly commissioned with our partners [Ygam](https://ygam.org/), the survey gathers insights from 2,000 university students across the UK. Alongside this, we’ve published a five-year trend analysis, covering over 10,000 students, to understand how student gambling behaviour is evolving. Key findings: - 65% of university students have gambled in the past 12 months, rising to 75% among male students. - Average weekly gambling spend has almost doubled, from £27.24 to £50.33. - 34% of students who gamble say social media is a key influence. - 46% of student gamblers report that gambling has negatively affected their university experience. - Over the past five years, gambling among students has fallen from 78% to 65%, and the proportion experiencing harms has decreased from 24% to 18%. To read the press release and reports [click here](https://ygam.org/news/university-students-who-gamble-are-losing-an-average-of-53-a-week/) These findings show that students remain particularly vulnerable to gambling harms. By working with Ygam, universities and student unions can access training, tools, and resources to safeguard students and address gambling harms.

Last week, our Chief Marketing Officer, Katie Reynolds-Jones attended both the London Gambling Harms Conference and GamCare’s Parliamentary Reception. These events provided valuable opportunities to meet colleagues from across the sector and engage in meaningful conversations about our shared commitment to reducing gambling harm. Thank you to Betknowmore UK and GamCare for inviting us to be part of these important discussions. The conversations throughout the week offered valuable insight and reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in strengthening protections for those most at risk.

Registrations from young adults continued to rise in the second half of 2025, with a 40% year‑on‑year increase in 16–24 year olds signing up to self‑exclude. This age group accounted for 29% of all new registrations, indicating growing early engagement with self‑exclusion tools. Across all users, five‑year exclusions remained the most popular, selected by 47% of registrants. The 5 years with auto‑renewal option, introduced in late 2024, also saw increasing uptake, and in December 2025 more than half of those choosing a minimum five‑year exclusion opted for auto‑renewal. At the end of 2025, over 562,000 people were actively excluded through Gamstop Online, with 58,675 registrations recorded in the final six months of the year. Fiona Palmer, CEO of The Gamstop Group, said: “Our brand refresh reflects the evolution of Gamstop and will deliver clarity, consistency and accessibility while preserving the trust and integrity built over the last eight years. The continued growth in registrations highlights the increasing need for effective self‑exclusion tools, and the rise in auto‑renewal shows that many consumers are seeking longer‑term support.”