The Mori Social Research Unit surveyed 8,017 12- to 15-year-olds in England and Wales, and found that participation in gambling activities had fallen since a similar survey in 2000. Fruit machines are still the most popular form, with more than half of young people saying they had used them. Although this represents a decline from 2000, it is not as significant as other forms of gambling - the number of young people purchasing scratchcards has more than halved, for example. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University, co-author of the report, said: "This may indicate that gambling opportunities where one-to-one interaction with a shopkeeper is necessary are becoming more rigorously enforced."
Although fewer young people are buying scratch-cards, those who do are now more likely to spend higher amounts, with the number of young people spending 3 to 5 in the past week jumping from six to 16 per cent.
