Loneliness and gambling harms: Understanding the connection

Guest blog post by Amy Bussey, Head of Insight & Innovation at Ygam

Loneliness is not just a feeling. For many young people growing up in the digital world, it's part of a wider story around mental health, coping mechanisms, escapism, and the pressure of wider structural conditions. When those conditions intersect with the pervasive availability of gambling products, vulnerability compounds, and so does the harms that follow.

Understanding that intersection is central to what we do at Ygam, because the conditions that draw young people towards gambling, and the conditions that make them vulnerable to loneliness, are often the same.

The loneliness landscape for young people

Recent public-health data challenges common assumptions about loneliness predominantly impacting older age groups. The NHS Health Survey for England 2024 found that 29% of 16- to 24-year-olds report feeling lonely at least some of the time - a higher proportion than any other age group. Analysis from the Office for National Statistics reinforces this, with young adults aged 16 to 29 more than twice as likely to report frequent loneliness as those over 70.

Young people are navigating significant social and emotional challenges during a formative stage of development, while immersed in a digital environment intentionally engineered with persuasive design, reward loops, and other dark‑pattern techniques that influence how identity, belonging, and connection are formed. From a public-health perspective, these structural features of the digital world create conditions in which vulnerability can be amplified, and it is within this context that the relationship between loneliness and gambling harms can begin to take shape.

Loneliness, escape, and the evidence base

The academic evidence on the relationship between loneliness and gambling harms is nuanced. A Finnish longitudinal study published in the Journal of Behavioural Addiction found that using gambling as a means of escape from negative emotions is consistently associated with gambling harms, and where loneliness underpins that drive, the pathway to harm becomes more probable.

A qualitative evidence review in 2023 by Public Health England found that people who gamble commonly report experiences such as guilt, shame and reduced self-esteem, alongside wider health and wellbeing impacts including loneliness. The experience of loneliness connected to gambling harm can also extend beyond the person experiencing direct harm. Research highlights that partners and family members are significantly affected, often finding themselves isolated. This hidden burden means that loneliness ripples outward, touching those closest to the person who gambles.

Young people’s experience of loneliness is shaped significantly by the digital world they are immersed in. A 2025 study by researchers from King’s College London and the University of Greenwich found that the type of and use of platform, rather than overall screen time, is most closely associated with loneliness. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram create an environment of infinite scrolling, presenting the user with content to watch, rather than interact. These platforms encourage passive consumption, which appears to heighten feelings of isolation.

In a world where young people are constantly connected, many have never felt more alone. Behind the endless notifications, livestreams and scrolling feeds can sit a profound sense of isolation, a feeling of being seen by everyone, yet truly known by no one. At the same time, opportunities to gamble have become relentless, woven seamlessly into the digital spaces young people inhabit day and night.

Through targeted advertising, influencer culture, gaming mechanics and instant access via smartphones, gambling can arrive uninvited, reaching young people at their most vulnerable - late at night, during periods of stress, loneliness or uncertainty. In an environment engineered for constant engagement, the boundaries between connection, entertainment and risk can become increasingly difficult to navigate.

Evidence relating to LGBTQIA+ communities adds further depth. The GambLGBTQ+ project team found that transgender and non-binary people were more than twice as likely to report gambling due to depression or anxiety, and among those experiencing gambling harm, 79% reported feeling isolated.

Social connection is about far more than simply preventing loneliness. A recent review of the literature on risk and protective factors for gambling harm in young people shows that when young people feel genuinely connected to family and friends, are supported, take part in pro‑social and extracurricular activities, and experience a sense of belonging, these relationships act as a powerful protective factor against gambling harm. This is why creating environments and opportunities that nurture connection must be treated as a safeguarding priority.

Implications for safeguarding and practice

At Ygam, our approach to preventing gambling harms is grounded in education and early intervention, connected to a wider public-health understanding of the conditions that shape young people’s risk. Gambling harms rarely present in isolation; they are intertwined with mental health challenges, financial stress and social withdrawal.

A public‑health lens reminds us that these harms are not the result of individual choices, but are influenced by broader determinants, including digital environments designed with persuasive mechanics, social and economic pressures, and unequal access to support. Meaningful prevention therefore requires addressing the systems and contexts that make young people vulnerable in the first place.

Loneliness Awareness Week offers an opportunity to widen that lens. Tackling loneliness is not simply about helping young people feel less alone, it is about protecting their wellbeing in an increasingly complex digital world. Every young person deserves safe spaces, trusted relationships and a genuine sense of belonging, because connection can be one of the strongest defences against gambling and other harms.

Recognising loneliness as a potential indicator of vulnerability to gambling harms adds an important dimension to safeguarding practice. Through Ygam’s free training programmes, we equip those in positions of care with the knowledge and confidence to recognise signs of harm and support meaningful conversations.

The theme of Giving Loneliness a Voice is particularly apt. Loneliness and gambling harms often go unspoken, especially among young people who may feel embarrassed, ashamed or worried about being judged. Too often, there are not enough open and honest conversations about these issues, making it harder for young people to ask for help. Creating safe environments where they feel listened to, understood and able to speak openly is a vital part of prevention.

The evidence linking loneliness and gambling harms continues to grow, but one message is already clear: young people need more than awareness, they need connection, support and spaces where they truly feel they belong.

Ygam is the UK's leading charity dedicated to preventing gaming and gambling harms among young people. For free training, resources, and research, visit ygam.org

If you are concerned about yours or someone else’s gambling, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (calls are free of charge and available 24hrs a day).