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New research shows a quarter of all students who gamble may be experiencing harm
One in four students who gamble may be experiencing harm and one in two say that gambling has affected their university experience, new research has found.
The survey of 2,000 students across the UK revealed that 71% had gambled in the last 12 months. Amongst those students who had gambled in the previous year, 28% were found to be at ‘moderate risk’ and 24% had behaviour categorised as ‘problem gambling’.
The independent research carried out by Censuswide is a follow up to last year’s survey commissioned by education charity Ygam and GAMSTOP, the national online self-exclusion service.
This year the survey included the Short-form PGSI – a widely used measure of ‘problem gambling’ in the UK population – which enabled the researchers to understand the level of risk experienced by students in the sample.
Half of all respondents reported that gambling had impacted their university experience, with 13% having trouble paying for food, 10% missing lectures and tutorials, 10% saying gambling affected their assignments and grades, and 9% struggling to pay bills or for accommodation. Despite this, 45% of those who gamble were unaware of the support available to them from their universities.
Almost one in two students who gamble (48%) say they gamble to make money, but only 11% report winning money in an average week. One in three say they spend £11-£20 per week on gambling; nearly one in four (23%) spend £21-£50; and 13% spend £51-£100. 4.5%, say they gamble because they are unable to stop.
Along with savings and their own earnings, some students are borrowing money to fund their gambling, with 8% borrowing from family and friends and 6% using payday loans.
More than 40% of students have bought cryptocurrency in the last year, which is much higher than the figure for the overall population. This is perhaps not surprising given the age profile of the student population, but in a year when cryptocurrency prices plunged this may have impacted the overall financial wellbeing of this group.
The full report has been published today and includes the results of questions asked both to respondents who had gambled in the last 12 months as well as those who had not. The questions to the latter group were rephrased to further understand their view on gambling behaviour and attitudes amongst their friends.
The report makes three key recommendations:
- Invest in universal prevention education in schools to help prepare young people to be resilient to the risks related to gambling before their transition to university.
- Gambling harms to be considered as part of every university’s health and wellbeing strategy.
- Further research to be conducted to better understand the experiences of students who gamble and how harms can be better prevented.
Dr Jane Rigbye, Chief Executive Officer at Ygam said:
“These findings give us insight into the attitudes and behaviours of students towards gambling. Building on the data published last year, we can now see that not only are a large percentage of the student population gambling on a regular basis, many of them are doing so in a way that may cause them to experience harm.
“The data further emphasises the importance of educating our young people on the risks associated with gambling. We’re working with our partners to tour university campuses across the UK to speak to students, deliver specialist training to university staff and to raise awareness. It is crucial that universities engage and take this issue seriously. We aim to work closely with many more universities to ensure they can help prevent the harms and support their students when they need it.”
Bray Ash, 29, who spent many years battling a gambling addiction as a student and is now studying to become a Mental Health nurse, said:
“For many, the research commissioned by GAMSTOP & Ygam will come as a surprise. However, for me it’s a reminder of the seriousness and proximity to gambling addiction that students face on a daily basis. During my time at university, I dealt with a severe gambling addiction that saw me confined to my room for days at a time. I spent my time in my room, alone and isolated, gambling day and night. I only left my room to buy food and on the odd occasion, I would see a friend.
“Propped up by the money from my student loan, I was able to fall into a gambling addiction that spiralled out of control until one day I managed to work up the courage to talk to my friends and family about it and get myself into rehab. At the time when I was first going through university, resources like GAMSTOP weren’t around. Now that they are and they are helping thousands of students, it’s always one of my first recommendations to anyone who feels that they might be experiencing gambling harms.”
TEN, The Entertainment Network for AI‑Native iGaming, has launched House of TEN—the first fully on-chain poker application featuring autonomous AI agents with trustless, encrypted gameplay.
More than just a technical milestone, the launch signals the arrival of AI-native iGaming—a new category of on-chain entertainment where AI agents and trustless wagering converge. The successful launch of House of TEN illustrates how TEN’s unique, encrypted execution environment is expanding the possibilities for what can be achieved on the Ethereum blockchain. With programmable privacy, verifiable randomness and no off-chain logic, TEN enables fully autonomous, high-stakes games that merge crypto trustlessness with real gameplay complexity.
Poker That Actually Works On-Chain
Poker has been played for over 200 years, but until now, it couldn’t exist fully on-chain without compromising fairness or privacy. By solving long-standing limitations around privacy, randomness, and user experience—without relying on off-chain components—TEN is enabling games that were previously considered impossible to build on-chain. Users can stake on AI agents with distinct strategies and personalities, earning ZEN—a prediction-based rewards system that converts into future airdrops.
Poker requires hidden information, strategic play and fair randomness—none of which have been possible in previous blockchain implementations without compromising trust assumptions. TEN uses TEEs to deliver encrypted card hands and secure, verifiable randomness, without any off-chain logic.
“We’ve built the world’s first true on-chain poker with AI agents you can stake on. It’s one of the most technically advanced dApps ever deployed in Web3. To make it work, we had to solve cryptographic challenges that most thought were impossible—like fully private card hands, autonomous logic, and fair, tamper-proof dealing,” said Cais Manai, Co-Founder & Head of Product at TEN.
AI Agents That Think, Bluff and Deceive
TEN’s poker experience includes autonomous AI agents with unique personalities and play styles, from aggressive risk-takers to unpredictable wildcards. Players can follow and stake on these agents as they compete in real time. The gameplay experience mirrors leading online poker platforms, only now, it’s fully on-chain, transparent and decentralized. Each hand is unpredictable. Odds move in real time based on player actions, not bots, because the game state is encrypted and can’t be sniped.
The launch of House of TEN is a live demonstration of what the protocol makes possible:
• Trust in the protocol, not the people.
• Chain-level encryption.
• Lightning-fast finality.
• Seamless user experience (UX) that hides complexity.
A Glimpse Into What’s Next for Ethereum
While poker is the first showcase, TEN is built to support much more. Its encrypted execution environment enables entirely new classes of on-chain games and AI applications that require privacy, randomness or complex off-chain-like logic—spanning DeFi, gaming and AI-based applications.
“TEN isn’t just another L2—we’ve built what we believe is the most sophisticated infrastructure in the space. This launch proves that real utility, strong user experience (UX), and cryptographic privacy can all coexist on Ethereum. We’re building for the future of institutions, enterprises, and autonomous systems entering Web3,” said Gavin Thomas, CEO of TEN Protocol.
The post TEN Launches First-ever Fully On-chain Poker Powered by Autonomous AI Agents appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Ygam has strengthened its board of trustees with two appointments bringing combined expertise in governance, policy, public affairs and safeguarding.
Judy White joins the Ygam board with over 20 years of experience in governance and operational leadership across the not-for-profit sector. A Chartered Secretary, Judy has a proven track record in governance, risk management, data protection, transformation and stakeholder engagement. She most recently served as Head of Governance at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), where she oversaw governance, assurance and risk across the organisation.
Previously, Judy spent seven years at the Gambling Commission as a Senior Manager in Licensing, where she played a key role in assessing complex licensing applications. Judy’s deep understanding of governance frameworks and regulatory environments will provide crucial oversight and support as Ygam continues to grow and evolve.
Iain Corby joins alongside Judy as an experienced leader with a diverse career spanning consultancy, government policy, and the third sector. His early career included 12 years as a programme management consultant at Deloitte before transitioning into policy work.
Iain has experience working in gambling harms prevention sector, previously serving as Deputy Chief Executive of GambleAware. He is currently the founding Executive Director of the Age Verification Providers Association which prioritises child protection in the digital space. With an MBA from UCLA and a reputation for delivering performance improvements, Ian brings strategic insight, commercial acumen and a wealth of knowledge in public affairs and communications.
Mike Wocik, Chair of Ygam, said: “We are delighted to welcome Judy and Iain to the Ygam Board. Their wealth of experience and expertise will further strengthen our governance and strategic leadership, ensuring we continue to operate at the highest standards. Strong governance is the foundation of our success, and their insights will be invaluable as we grow our impact and evolve as a leader in our field. I look forward to working with them to drive our mission forward and make a lasting difference.”
Judy White said: “I’m excited to join the fantastic team at Ygam. I’m passionate about supporting children and young people, and I’ve been hugely impressed by Ygam’s position as a leader in their field, with a clear commitment to high standards of governance and impact. I look forward to engaging and collaborating with the board and staff to advance Ygam’s vision and mission, ultimately supporting children and young people in safely navigating our increasingly digital world.”
Iain Corby said: “Although it has been six years since I was at GambleAware, I have followed developments in the field from a distance and recognise this is a time of great change and opportunity with the introduction of the new levy. The growing focus on prevention has never been more important, and I look forward to supporting the board, the whole leadership team, and the impressive team that is delivering such a formidable impact for young people across the country and beyond.”
The post Ygam Welcomes Two New Trustees appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Narva Communications has become Svenska Spel’s new agency for corporate communications.
“We received high-quality bids from some of Sweden’s leading agencies in Corporate Communication. After a thorough evaluation process, Narva was the agency that received the highest score. They have demonstrated great strategic acumen, strong analytical skills and a very good understanding of Svenska Spel’s mission and communication needs,” Andreas Jerat, Head of Corporate Communication at Svenska Spel, said.
Narva’s assignment includes strategic communication support within Corporate Communication, Public Affairs and financial communication. The assignment also includes the production of annual and sustainability reports. The agreement is valid for two years starting in May 2025, with the possibility of extension 1 + 1 year.
“We are extremely proud that Svenska Spel has chosen Narva as a partner for its group communications. Svenska Spel is one of Sweden’s most well-known brands with an important social mission. We look forward to working with them to develop communications and help further strengthen the image of Svenska Spel as a role model for games that are offered in a safe and responsible manner,” said Frida Dahlgren, CEO of Narva Communications and account manager for Svenska Spel.
The post Narva Communications Becomes Svenska Spel’s New Agency for Corporate Communications appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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