How many people are harmed by gambling? The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.2% of the world’s adults have a gambling disorder, and the Lancet Public Health Commission puts the number of adults with gambling disorder or problematic gambling at about 80 million. National surveys report very different figures, mainly because they measure different things in different ways. Gambling harm statistics are only useful when they come with a source, a year and a base.
Anyone affected by gambling, or worried about someone else, can start with Gambling Therapy, a free online service from Gordon Moody that offers practical advice and emotional support to anyone, wherever they live. The rest of this guide explains where each figure comes from and what it can and cannot show.
The global picture: WHO and the Lancet commission
Two international sources anchor most reliable global figures. WHO updated its gambling fact sheet on 2 December 2024, and the Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling published online on 24 October 2024. WHO states that standardised global estimation of gambling harms has been limited, so the global figures below are estimates.
| Figure | What it measures | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2% of the world’s adults | Estimated share with a gambling disorder | WHO, 2 December 2024 |
| About 80 million adults | Estimated adults with gambling disorder or problematic gambling | Lancet commission, 24 October 2024 |
| 46.2% of adults, 17.9% of adolescents | Gambled in some form in the preceding year, globally | Lancet commission, 24 October 2024 |
| 5.5% of women, 11.9% of men | Experience some level of harm from gambling, globally | WHO, 2 December 2024 |
Figures were checked against the original sources on 5 October 2026.
What the global figures show – and what they do not
The 1.2% counts adults with a gambling disorder across the world. It does not count everyone who has been harmed, and it says nothing about any single country. The 5.5% and 11.9% figures describe a wider group, the people who experience some level of harm, so the two sets of numbers should not be added together. The Lancet commission also notes that gambling in some form is now legally permitted in more than 80% of countries. That is a statement about the world, not about the country where a reader lives. Read the year first.
Online casino games and slots: figures with a narrower base
The Lancet commission also estimates how common gambling disorder could be among people who use particular products. For online casino or slot products, it estimates that gambling disorder could affect 15.8% of the adults and 26.4% of the adolescents who gamble using them. The base is the important detail. These percentages describe users of those products, not the whole population, and the words “could affect” mark an estimate, not a count of diagnosed cases. Check the base, not just the figure.
WHO adds a financial measure. Its fact sheet says that people gambling at harmful levels generate around 60% of losses, which it equates with gambling revenue. That is a share of money lost, not a share of people.
A German survey shows the same pattern at national level. In the Glücksspiel-Survey 2025, online slot machines had a participation rate of 0.7%, yet 32.5% of the people who played them met the survey’s criteria for gambling disorder, the highest share of any game type in the report. The two numbers only make sense together: few people play, and the share affected within that group is high.
Gambling harm statistics by country
National surveys give the closest view of a single country, but each uses its own tool, age range and base. Every figure in this guide was checked in the source named next to it, not copied from an article that cites it, because a percentage copied from another article often loses its year and its base on the way. The table lists seven sources. It is a reference list, not a ranking.
| Country | Source and year | What it measured | Figure | Base |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | Gambling Survey for Great Britain, data collected January 2025 to January 2026 | Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score of 8 or more | 2.4% | Adults aged 18 or over (20,775 people) |
| Ireland | Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), survey of August 2023, published 5 October 2023 | Problem gambling, as the ESRI study measures it | 1 in 30 adults, about 130,000 people | Adults (2,850 people surveyed) |
| Australia | Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, 2022 wave, summarised by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) | PGSI categories | High risk 1.8% (1.1% in 2018); moderate risk 3.1% (2.5%) | Adults |
| Canada | Canadian Community Health Survey 2018, published 9 August 2022 | Moderate-to-severe risk of gambling problems | 1.6% | People aged 15 or over who gambled in the past year |
| United States | National Council on Problem Gambling (an estimate, not a survey) | Severe gambling problem | 2.5 million adults (1%) | Adults |
| Germany | Glücksspiel-Survey 2025, collected August to November 2025, published March 2026 | Gambling disorder under the DSM-5 | 2.2% (95% interval 1.9–2.5) | People aged 18 to 70 (12,340 interviews) |
| Sweden | Public Health Agency of Sweden, page updated 21 September 2026 | Some degree of gambling problems | About 3–4% | People aged 16 to 84 |
Figures were checked against the original sources on 5 October 2026.
In Great Britain, the annual report of Great Britain’s Gambling Commission shows a PGSI score of 8 or more for 2.4% of adults, a level the Commission calls stable over three years. The same survey found that 47% of adults had taken part in some form of gambling in the previous four weeks. Great Britain also has a national online self-exclusion scheme, and how Gamstop works in Great Britain has its own guide.
In Ireland, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) estimated that a further 279,000 adults show moderate evidence of problem gambling, on top of the 130,000 in the table. It also found that more than a quarter of all money spent on gambling in Ireland is spent by people with problem gambling, as the study measures it.
Canada is a clear example of a narrow base. According to Statistics Canada, 64.5% of people aged 15 or over (18.9 million) gambled in the past year. The 1.6% in the table is a share of those who gambled in the past year (304,400 people), measured as a score of 3 or higher on the Canadian Problem Gambling Index. It is not a share of all Canadians.
The United States figure comes from the National Council on Problem Gambling, which estimates that another 5–8 million adults (2–3%) would be considered to have mild or moderate gambling problems. For Australia, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) also reports net gambling losses of A$31.5 billion in 2022–23. That is a spending figure, not a measure of how many people are harmed.
Why national figures cannot be ranked
Method alone can move a number. ESRI found that its 2023 estimate was ten times higher than a previous measure from 2019. The institute attributes the gap to method: the earlier estimate came from face-to-face interviews, the new one from an anonymous online questionnaire.
The tools also differ. Great Britain and Australia report PGSI categories, Canada uses the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, and Germany reports gambling disorder as defined by the DSM-5 diagnostic manual. Age ranges differ as well, from 15 or over in Canada to 18 to 70 in Germany. Great Britain’s Gambling Commission is direct about the consequence: “direct comparisons between GSGB and surveys using different methodologies are not appropriate”.
The base is the third trap. Canada’s 1.6% is a share of people who gambled. The Lancet commission’s 15.8% is a share of people who use online casino or slot products. Germany’s 32.5% is a share of the people who play online slot machines. The remaining figures in the table are shares of adults or of a whole age group. Putting any of these side by side without checking the base produces a false ranking.
Finally, the type of figure matters. WHO’s 1.2% is an estimate. The British result is a survey result with sampling error, and the German report gives a 95% interval. The United States figure is an organisation’s estimate, and US$700 billion by 2028 is a projection. Four labels, four different levels of certainty.
A screening score is not a diagnosis
The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is a short screening questionnaire used in several national surveys, including those in Great Britain and Australia. Survey results are usually reported in bands, such as a score of 1–2, 3–7 or 8 or more, and Great Britain’s Gambling Commission publishes the proportion of adults in each band. The Commission’s own guidance on using the survey says that the PGSI “should not be confused with a measure of gambling addiction”. A score is not a diagnosis.
Gambling disorder is a clinical term. WHO’s ICD-11 classification describes three diagnostic requirements: impaired control over gambling, increasing priority given to gambling over other life interests and daily activities, and continuation of gambling despite negative consequences. They are listed here to explain what a statistic counts, not as a checklist for self-diagnosis. Only a qualified health professional can assess whether someone has a gambling disorder.
Harm reaches beyond the person who gambles
WHO reports that for every person who gambles at high-risk levels, an average of six others, usually people who do not gamble, are affected. The Public Health Agency of Sweden gives a national count: 130,000 people share a household with someone who has gambling problems, and 40,000 of them are children, based on the Swelogs study of 2021.
The two numbers answer different questions. One is a global average per person, the other counts people living in the same household in one country. Neither describes the type or size of the harm.
What the figures mean in practice
WHO estimates that about 0.14% of the population seek formal and informal help for current problems, and it describes the uptake of treatment for gambling disorder as low. Support does exist, and tools such as self-exclusion are available in many places. National self-exclusion schemes by country are covered in a separate guide, because each scheme belongs to one jurisdiction.
The size of the industry is the one figure here that looks ahead. Industry analysts cited by WHO estimate that global gambling revenue will reach US$700 billion by 2028, and the Lancet commission cites a projection of nearly US$700 billion in net consumer losses for the same year. Both are projections, not measurements of today.
Where to get support
Gambling harm statistics describe groups, not individuals. For a person in difficulty, or a relative of someone who is, Gambling Therapy offers free online support to anyone affected by gambling, in any country. National helplines are different: they belong to one country, and the number for one country may not work in another. Gambling helplines by country lists them with the country named each time.
This guide gives general information and is not medical advice. SlothBet’s own approach to safer play is described on SlothBet’s responsible gambling page.
Frequently asked questions
How many people in the world have a gambling disorder?
WHO estimates that 1.2% of the world’s adults have a gambling disorder, according to its fact sheet of 2 December 2024. The Lancet Public Health Commission, reporting on 24 October 2024, estimates that about 80 million adults experience gambling disorder or problematic gambling. Both are estimates.
What is the difference between gambling harm and gambling disorder?
Gambling disorder is a clinical diagnosis. WHO’s ICD-11 describes three requirements: impaired control over gambling, increasing priority given to it, and continuation despite negative consequences. Gambling harm is broader. WHO reports that around 5.5% of women and 11.9% of men globally experience some level of harm from gambling.
Why do gambling harm statistics differ so much between countries?
Surveys use different tools, age ranges and bases, and the method of collection matters too. In Ireland, ESRI found an estimate ten times higher than a 2019 measure and linked the gap to method. Great Britain’s Gambling Commission says direct comparisons between surveys using different methodologies are not appropriate.
What does a PGSI score of 8 or more mean?
The Problem Gambling Severity Index is a short screening questionnaire used in national surveys. A score of 8 or more is a survey category, reported by 2.4% of adults in Great Britain in 2025. The Gambling Commission says the PGSI should not be confused with a measure of gambling addiction. A score is not a diagnosis.
How much of gambling revenue comes from people gambling at harmful levels?
WHO says people gambling at harmful levels generate around 60% of losses, which its fact sheet equates with gambling revenue. The figure is a global estimate of where lost money comes from. It does not show how many people gamble at harmful levels, and it says nothing about a single country or operator.
How many people are affected by someone else’s gambling?
WHO reports that for every person who gambles at high-risk levels, an average of six others, usually people who do not gamble, are affected. In Sweden, the Public Health Agency reports 130,000 people sharing a household with someone who has gambling problems, including 40,000 children. These are different measures, so they cannot be combined.
How many people seek help for gambling problems?
WHO estimates that about 0.14% of the population seek formal and informal help for current problems, and it says treatment for gambling disorder has a low rate of uptake. Gambling Therapy offers free online support to anyone affected by gambling, wherever they live, and national helplines exist in many countries.
Sources
All gambling harm statistics in this guide come from the sources below, accessed on 5 October 2026.
- World Health Organization, Gambling fact sheet, 2 December 2024.
- The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling, Lancet Public Health 2024; 9: e950–94, published online 24 October 2024 (University of Glasgow repository).
- Gambling Commission, third annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain, 16 July 2026.
- Gambling Commission, Gambling Survey for Great Britain annual report 2025, 16 July 2026.
- Gambling Commission, guidance on using statistics from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, updated 16 July 2026.
- Economic and Social Research Institute, 1 in 30 adults in Ireland problem gambling estimate, 5 October 2023.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Gambling, page updated 10 November 2025.
- Statistics Canada, gambling statistics from the Canadian Community Health Survey, 9 August 2022.
- National Council on Problem Gambling, What is problem gambling?
- Folkhälsomyndigheten (Public Health Agency of Sweden), Statistik över spelproblem, updated 21 September 2026.
- Institut für interdisziplinäre Suchtforschung (ISD) Hamburg, Glücksspiel-Survey 2025, March 2026.
- Gambling Therapy (Gordon Moody).