Wednesday 02-04-2025 - 12:30

University students engage in gambling activity in significant numbers and are particularly vulnerable to gambling harms. Unique social factors, the transition to financial independence, and the disproportionate impact of rising living costs on UK university students all contribute to this vulnerability.

That’s why Ygam, the UK’s leading gambling harm prevention charity, has teamed up with NUS Charity to launch ‘Silence the Stigma’ - a campaign designed to encourage campus conversations about gambling harms between friends and peers.

Friends and peers shape the university experience and have a huge influence on each other’s decisions. Students are in a unique position to spot the signs of gambling harms, and just like university staff, they should have the right tools and knowledge to help. Silence the stigma and let’s talk about gambling harms!

Student gambling in numbers

The latest Annual Student Gambling Survey found that students who gamble are four times more likely to experience gambling harms compared to the general population. 

• Student gamblers are spending on average £27.24 a week on gambling with almost 1 in 10 students spending between £51-£100 a week.
• 32% of students who gambling state friends as the biggest influence on their gambling behaviour, with 36% stating that their motivation to gamble was to have fun with friends, second only to making money (45%).
• 29% of students who do not gamble said that they knew someone whose university experience had been adversely affected by gambling, with 24% struggling to pay for bills, 20% struggling to pay for accommodation, and 17% seeing their grades suffer. 
• Less than half (48%) of non-gambling students were aware of the support available on campus for those experiencing gambling harms.

GambleAware data also shows that 75% of people experiencing gambling harms feel unable to talk to loved ones, with stigma being the biggest barrier to opening up. While 1 in 4 people believe they know someone affected by gambling harms, 61% hesitate to start a conversation due to concerns about stigma.

Interested in getting involved?

Ygam and NUS Charity are looking to collaborate with universities, societies, and student unions from across the UK to create campus environments where stigma is not a blocker to support. We want to give students the knowledge and agency to silence the stigma and talk about gambling harms, but we need your help!

By supporting the campaign, you will get access to a participation pack - which includes helpful downloadable resources, campus messaging, a social media handbook, and bespoke support from a member of the Ygam team.  

You will also receive enrolment on one of Ygam’s free educational workshops for students or CPD training for university and student union staff.

As part of a campus community, you are uniquely positioned to spot the signs of gambling harm and effectively safeguard those around you. 

For further information or to sign-up to the campaign, please email us or visit the Ygam website.