Nearly 2,000 people in the UK sought financial guidance for gambling-related financial issues in 2025, the UK-facing charity GamCare has revealed.
Data released on Wednesday showed a total of 1,954 people in the UK utilised Gamcare’s Money Guidance Service in 2025 after experiencing gambling losses. This figure was more than double the previous year’s total of 923.
Meanwhile, the amount of debt reported through the Money Guidance Service reached £7.2 million ($9.6 million). This represented a nearly three-fold increase from the previous year and worked out to an average of £21,269 per person.
In January 2026 alone, a record 233 referrals were made to the Money Guidance Service, close to three times higher than the same month of 2025.
Money Guidance Service manager Kathy Wade voiced her concerns over the UK population looking toward gambling as a means of combatting rising living costs.
“We are concerned that people are telling us they are looking toward gambling to help them cover essential bills, as households feel squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis, but end up in a worse financial situation as a result,” Wade commented.
“We realise that many people gamble safely and do so to win money, but we would not encourage anyone to gamble with the goal of making extra money to cover essential bills.”
The link between debt and gambling harms
GamCare also highlighted data from the UK debt provider PayPlan, which showed that in January this year, 21,000 contacts were made to the organisation. This was a 22% year-on-year rise.
GamCare and PayPlan pointed out the view of specialists who had observed an increasing link between debt and gambling harms.
A total of 243 people were referred directly from GamCare’s treatment services to PayPlan in 2025, 34% higher than the 181 referred in 2024.
PayPlan Vulnerability lead Emma Gibbons explained the company how the company observed a rise in trends of gambling-related harm linked to debt.
“The rise in referrals from GamCare reflects the growing number of people who feel overwhelmed and unsure where to turn after suffering losses,” Gibbons said.
“We know early, compassionate debt advice can make a real difference, through helping people stabilise their finances, understand their options and begin to regain control. We’re proud to work alongside GamCare to ensure everyone that needs it receives non-judgmental support.”
Kyle Goldsmith
Kyle has been with Clarion since December 2023, joining from the world of sports journalism, subsequently becoming a LatAm-facing senior reporter with iGB.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sustainable-gambling/problem-gambling/gamcare-warns-rising-uk-gambling-related-financial-issues/
