DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.25913.2 ISSN: 2398-502X

Gambling behaviour of Bradford teenagers: evidence from the Born in Bradford Age of Wonder study

Gillian Santorelli, Jane West, John Pickavance
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Background Gambling among young people is a public health concern, and gambling-like mechanics in digital games (e.g., loot boxes) may increase exposure. We estimated the prevalence of traditional gambling and gambling-like online behaviours among adolescents in Bradford. Methods Born in Bradford’s Age of Wonder survey (2023–24) collected self-reported gambling behaviours from pupils in Years 8–10 (ages 12–15) across secondary schools. Invalid responses were excluded, yielding analytic samples for traditional gambling (n=7,257) and online gaming behaviours (n=7,828). Prevalence was summarised by year group, sex, and ethnicity (Pakistani British, White British, Other). Results Of 7,254 pupils, 28.7% reported ever spending money on at least one gambling activity. Prevalence was similar for males (29.6%) and females (28.0%) and across year groups (Year 8: 30.8%; Year 9: 28.1%; Year 10: 27.1%). The most common activity was fruit/slot machines (16.7%), followed by private bets (7.9%) and playing cards for money (6.7%). Marked ethnic differences were observed: White British pupils were more likely to report ever gambling (45.8%) than Pakistani British pupils (15.8%) and pupils of other ethnicities (24.1%). Among 7,825 pupils answering online gaming questions, 55.8% had spent real money in at least one online game, 27.2% had purchased loot boxes/packs, and 3.3% had bet with in-game items. Males reported higher in-game spending than females (73.2% vs 39.8%), and White British pupils reported higher spending than Pakistani British pupils (66.8% vs 46.3%). Conclusions Gambling and gambling-like behaviours are common among Bradford adolescents, with substantial demographic variation, particularly by ethnicity and sex. Findings support culturally sensitive, targeted public health and school-based prevention strategies addressing both traditional gambling and gambling-like online mechanisms.

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