The study, commissioned by GambleAware, focused on the effects of different gaming environments.

The research involved more than 40,000 participants from the Great Britain Treatment and Support Survey.

It analysed the demographics, motivation, behaviour and risks associated with 17 types of gambling devices, including physical machines, online casino games and loot boxes.

The study found 76 per cent of people using physical gambling machines and online casino games experienced “problem gambling”.

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Study calls for stricter gambling regulations to protect young adults (Image: Pixabay) Young adults aged 18 to 34 were found to predominantly use gambling machines at bookmakers or casinos.

The study also found half of loot box users displayed some level of gambling risk.

Dr Ruijie Wang, senior lecturer in psychology at Bournemouth University, said: “The results highlight the need for more stringent gambling regulation, particularly in online slots and physical gambling machines due to their high risk of harm to young adults.

“More regulation is also needed to limit gambling-like practices in video gaming, such as loot boxes, to individuals aged over 18 years as the interaction between video gaming and gambling should not be ignored.”

The report calls for more restrictions on the availability and design of physical gambling machines, including reducing the number of machines in venues, slowing spin speeds, lowering stakes and implementing mandatory breaks.