Young people and gambling apps

Gambling apps and the UK age limit of 18

Every real-money casino, betting or bingo app licensed by the Gambling Commission is for adults only. The minimum age to gamble online in Great Britain is 18, and there is no exception for a parent's account, a small stake or a promotion. Our page on what age you have to be to use casino apps covers the legal side in more detail.

The rule is enforced at the account level rather than the download. A teenager may be able to install an app on a phone without restrictions, but a licensed operator must not let anyone gamble until it has confirmed they are an adult. That is why the most effective protection for young people combines the operator's checks with controls on the device itself.

This page sits within our wider safer gambling hub, which covers limits, blocks and support for adults. Here the focus is narrower: young people and gambling apps, from the checks built into the system to the conversations that help at home.

How gambling apps check a young person's age

Since 7 May 2019, online operators have had to verify a customer's age and identity before letting them deposit or gamble. Before that date, operators had up to 72 hours to complete age checks, which meant some under-18s could play before being stopped. The current rule closed that gap.

The minimum details an operator must confirm are name, address and date of birth. Most start with electronic database checks, such as credit reference agency and electoral roll records, and ask for documents only if those checks don't match. You can read how this works step by step in our guide to casino app age verification and the rule itself on our age verification rules page.

Free-to-play versions of gambling games are covered too. An operator must age-verify a customer before giving access to a free demo of a slot or table game, so a child can't use demo mode as a back door.

Age checks are strong but not perfect. They confirm the identity on the account, not who is holding the phone. If an adult's account is left logged in on a shared tablet, a child could reach it, which is why the device steps further down this page matter.

App Store and Google Play protections for under-18s

Both app stores add their own layer before a gambling app reaches a phone. Apple's App Store Connect age ratings define gambling as betting or wagering with real money or currency that can be exchanged for real money. On devices running iOS 26 and later, apps with gambling, or with frequent simulated gambling, carry the 18+ rating. Apps with infrequent simulated gambling sit at 13+.

Google Play's policy says a real-money gambling app must stop under-age users from using it, and Google's gambling application asks for an Adults Only IARC rating, an 18+ notice and a responsible gambling statement. Gambling ads inside apps must not be shown to users known to be under 18 and aren't allowed in Designed for Families apps. Our guides to Apple App Store rules and Google Play rules go further.

What the Young People and Gambling 2025 survey found

The Gambling Commission's Young People and Gambling 2025 official statistics (opens in a new tab), published on 13 November 2025, surveyed 3,666 pupils aged 11 to 17 in England, Scotland and Wales. Ipsos ran the online survey in class between January and June 2025.

Two points stand out. First, most gambling by young people happens away from licensed casino apps, in arcades and in informal bets between friends. Second, gambling advertising reaches a large share of children through their phones, with apps and social media ahead of offline channels. The main reason young people gave for gambling was that it is fun, cited by 78% of those who had spent their own money.

Where young people meet gambling without a real-money app

A child who never opens a casino app can still pick up gambling habits on a phone. The routes below are the ones parents most often miss.

• Social casino and simulated gambling games. These look like slots or poker but use coins that can't be cashed out. Apple rates frequent simulated gambling 18+, but games with infrequent elements can be rated 13+. Our guide to social casino apps vs real-money apps explains the difference.
• Influencers. In the 2025 survey, 31% of young people who saw gambling content on social media said influencers had advertised gambling to them, which is 16% of all respondents.
• Family gambling. 29% of young people had seen a family member they live with gamble. Of those, 7% said it caused arguments or tension at home.
• Unregulated gambling. The survey put unregulated gambling, such as bets between friends, at 18%, up from 15% in 2024.

None of these routes is stopped by an operator's age check, so this is where conversations and device settings do most of the work.

Gambling adverts, apps and young people

Under CAP Code rule 16.3.12, in force since 1 October 2022, gambling ads must not be of strong appeal to children or young persons. The ASA explains how it judges this in its guidance on betting and gaming ads that appeal to children (opens in a new tab), and CAP updated its guidance on protecting under-18s on 14 October 2025.

Rule 16.3.14 goes further: nobody who is, or seems to be, under 25 should be shown gambling or playing a significant role in a gambling ad. An ASA enforcement notice in June 2026 said breaches of the strong-appeal rule still occasionally appear on social media. If you see a gambling ad that seems aimed at children, you can report it to the ASA. Our page on UK gambling advertising rules sets out the full code.

Young adults aged 18 to 24 and gambling apps

Turning 18 doesn't remove every protection. Since 21 May 2025, adults aged 18 to 24 can stake no more than £2 per spin on online slots, compared with £5 for those aged 25 and over. The lower limit applies to slots only, not to roulette or blackjack. Our slot stake limits page explains how operators apply it.

Young adults also benefit from the rules that apply to everyone: a prompt to set a financial limit before the first deposit, reality checks, time-outs and self-exclusion through GAMSTOP. If you're aged 18 to 24 and starting out, our guide to setting deposit limits is a sensible first read.

How to block gambling apps on a child's phone

Parental controls are the most direct way to keep young people and gambling apps apart on a family device. Apple's parental controls guide for iPhone and iPad (opens in a new tab) describes the settings below.

On an iPhone or iPad

1. On the parent's iPhone, open Settings, tap Family and choose the child's name.
2. Open Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn them on.
3. Under the App Store options, pick an age rating below 18+ so gambling apps are restricted.
4. Under Apps & Websites, set Installing Apps to Blocked if you want to approve every new app.
5. Check the settings again after each iOS update, as new age tiers apply on iOS 26 and later.

On an Android phone

Android's Digital Wellbeing lets you set an app timer: when the time runs out, the app closes and its icon dims, and timers reset at midnight. While Focus mode is on, the apps you pick and their alerts are paused. Google explains both in its Digital Wellbeing help page (opens in a new tab), and our guide to blocking casino apps with Digital Wellbeing walks through them.

For a step-by-step version on Apple devices, see blocking gambling apps on iPhone. Families who want one tool across phones and laptops can read our page on Gamban.

Shared phones, tablets and adult accounts

If an adult in the house uses a gambling app, the risk to a child often comes from a shared device rather than a new download. A logged-in account with a saved card is the weak point.

• Turn on Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode for the app if it offers biometric login, so a child can't open it with a tap.
• Log out after each session on any tablet the family shares.
• Avoid saving payment cards in the app on a shared device.
• Keep gambling apps off the home screen of a device children use.

Our guide to sharing a phone and casino apps and the answer to can someone else use my casino app cover the account rules. Letting anyone else use your gambling account usually breaks the operator's terms.

Talking to young people about gambling apps

Blocks work best alongside an honest conversation. Young people tend to respond to facts more than warnings, so explain how gambling works rather than simply banning it.

• Explain the house edge: every casino game is built so the operator keeps a share over time. Our glossary entry on the house edge has a plain example.
• Point out that coin-based social casino games can be designed to feel like wins come easily, which real-money games don't match.
• Ask what they see on social media and from creators they follow, without judging.
• Be open about your own gambling, if any, and the limits you use.
• Agree what happens if they come across gambling ads or are invited into bets with friends.

If you're worried a teenager is already gambling, our page on the signs of problem gambling lists changes to look for, from money going missing to secrecy around a phone.

Help for young people, parents and carers

The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, is free and open 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133. GamCare also offers live chat and WhatsApp support (opens in a new tab), and its advisers talk to people affected by someone else's gambling as well as gamblers themselves.

Families in Wales can also call the NHS Wales Helpline on 0808 2819 265. For more options, including NHS gambling clinics and peer support, see our gambling help and support page. Parents worried about a partner or older child can also read affected by someone else's gambling.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.