One in six young men reports signs of problem gambling The findings emerged from a national public health study by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which concluded that gambling was a "majority" pursuit in England. Some 68 per cent of men and 61 per cent of women gambled at least once in the previous year. The National Lottery was by far the most popular form of betting, followed by scratchcards, other lotteries and horse racing. Gambling was most prevalent among people in the middle age groups, with under-24s and over-75s least likely to have had a flutter in the past 12 months. However, males aged from 16 to 24 were found to be most susceptible to problems associated with betting, which can lead to depression, insomnia and alcohol abuse. Nearly 1 per cent of them said that they had at least occasionally committed a crime to fund their gambling. The report concluded: "The increased levels of gambling engagement among young men highlights them as a particular group who may be at risk of experiencing of gambling-related harm." This is the first time that the major Health Survey for England, which looked at the lifestyles of more than 8,000 adults and 2,000 children, has included questions about gambling so the results cannot be compared directly with previous years. The study's authors noted that the true figures for problem gamblers might be even higher because the nature of the survey may have put them off taking part. They said: "It is well documented that problem gamblers experience an array of adverse health outcomes. Therefore it is also possible that they are less likely to take part in a survey aimed at understanding health and health behaviour.