October 22, 2026 - 241 views
More than one in five boys aged 15 and 16 in Wales say they have spent their own money on gambling in the past week, according to new research highlighting concerns about young people’s exposure to gambling.
The latest findings from Public Health Wales show that 21.4 per cent of boys in Year 11 reported gambling in the previous seven days in 2025. That is up from 18.2 per cent in 2023.
The figures come from the School Health Research Network’s survey of secondary school pupils, carried out with Cardiff University and funded by the Welsh Government. It is the largest survey of its kind in Wales and asks pupils aged 11 to 16 about a range of issues affecting their health and wellbeing.
Across all year groups, 11.5 per cent of pupils said they had gambled in the week before the survey. Among Year 11 girls, the figure was considerably lower, at 6.5 per cent.
Public Health Wales says gambling can affect young people’s finances, mental health and relationships, even though not everyone who gambles will experience problems.
Helen Erswell, Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Wales, said the levels of gambling among young people were concerning, particularly the increase among older boys.
She said the findings underlined the need to help young people understand the risks and make informed choices, as well as ensuring support is available for those experiencing difficulties.
Public Health Wales has developed resources for schools called Behind the Screen: Understanding Gaming and Gambling Harms. They include guidance for teachers, classroom activities and information to help pupils discuss gambling, gaming and online risks.
The organisation is also working with partners on a national prevention programme and has identified areas where further research is needed to improve understanding of gambling-related harm and how best to prevent it.
The survey also highlighted some positive changes in school life. More pupils than ever said they felt their teachers cared about them as individuals, with the figures reaching their highest level since 2017.
Almost 66 per cent of boys agreed that their teachers cared about them as a person, compared with 56 per cent of girls. However, the findings also showed differences between groups, with fewer than half of girls from mixed or multiple ethnic backgrounds agreeing with the statement.
The survey found that pressure from schoolwork had eased since reaching a peak in 2023. Among Year 11 girls, 44.9 per cent said they felt a lot of pressure from schoolwork, compared with 14.2 per cent of girls in Year 7. Reported pressure among pupils in Years 10 and 11 was at its lowest level across the past five survey rounds, dating back to 2017.
The latest results are available through the Public Health Wales Secondary School Children’s Health and Well-being Dashboard, which covers almost 80 topics and allows results to be explored by age, school year, gender, region, ethnicity and family affluence.
