TLDR Only 25% of people in the UK say they trust the gambling industry, according to a survey by think tank More in Common UK. Gambling ranked just above tobacco, which was trusted by 21% of respondents. 65% of the public wants more regulation of the gambling sector. 63% said more betting shops would signal a decline in their community, while only 6% saw them as an improvement. The survey comes as Entain, Evoke, Betfred and Bet365 have cut jobs and licensed operators warn about the black market.
Public trust in gambling companies in the UK remains low, according to a new survey from the think tank More in Common UK. Only 25% of people said they trust the gambling sector.
Most people surveyed also want tighter rules and fewer betting shops on their local high streets.
Charlie Buckley, a Senior Research Associate at More in Common UK, shared the results at a fringe panel during the Labour Party Conference 2026. The research looked at how the public views gambling companies, betting shops and the wider industry.
Only 25% of Britons trust gambling firms, poll finds
Do you trust the gambling industry, or does the poll ring true?#UKGambling #PublicTrust pic.twitter.com/p8gVXB2phb
— InfoBets | Betting News (@infobetscom) September 30, 2026
Trust in Gambling Close to Tobacco
The gambling sector ranked only slightly above tobacco in public trust. Tobacco was trusted by 21% of people surveyed, four percentage points below gambling.
Just 5% of respondents said they had a great deal of trust in gambling companies. The same share said they had a great deal of trust in tobacco firms.
The rest of those who expressed confidence in either sector said they had a fair amount of trust. The survey did not say how many people