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Gaming Machines

Asked by Liz JarvisLiberal DemocratDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled Answered 20 October 2025UIN 78889

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of gambling-related harms linked to slot machines in adult gaming centres.

Answered by Ian Murray

The Gambling Commission, via the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, collects data on PGSI scores for respondents who have taken part in specific gambling activities. A PGSI score of 8 or more usually represents ‘problem’ gambling. These findings do not represent the PGSI 8+ rate for each product alone. Many people participate in multiple activities and their PGSI score is reflected across all activities that they participate in.

According to the latest survey, published on 2 October 2025, 16.9% of respondents who played fruit and slot machines in person had a PGSI score of 8+ in the last 12 months, and 26.5% of respondents who played casino games on a machine or terminal in a venue. A PGSI score of 8 or more was 3.8 times higher amongst people who had played fruit and slots played in person, and 5.9 times higher amongst people who had played casino games on a machine or terminal in a venue, compared to all people who had gambled in the past 12 months. These results are based on machines in all venues and are not specific to adult gaming centres, as this level of detail is not collected via the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.

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