Children and young people in the UK are being exposed to gambling content at ‘unprecedented levels’, according to a new report from GambleAware. In a survey of more than 630 13-17-year-olds, 87 per cent said they had been exposed to gambling content online, often via celebrities or social media influencers.
More than half said they felt they had ‘no control’ over the amount of online gambling content they saw, while a quarter said they had been tempted to spend money on gambling after seeing a celebrity either gambling or advertising gambling. Sixteen per cent stated that they’d seen content creators advertising gambling products, while almost 80 per cent agreed with the statement that no one under 18 should be exposed to gambling advertising or content. While GambleAware acknowledges that the sample is not nationally representative, the results do have ‘important implications for policy-makers and educators, and provide useful avenues for further research’, it says.
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch play a ‘central role’, the report states, with 16 per cent of survey respondents saying they had seen content creators sharing links and sign-up codes for gambling operators, and 14 per cent saying they’d seen them sharing gambling tips. The charity is calling on regulators to address the impact of digital platforms and influencer marketing in promoting gambling to young audiences, and for the Advertising Standards Authority to revise its guidelines on celebrities – particularly those who appeal to children – appearing in gambling adverts.
‘A comprehensive review and mapping of the regulatory landscape is urgently needed for influencer marketing, gambling, gaming, and online safety to understand the extent to which influencer marketing is able to fall through regulatory gaps and what could be done to address this,’ the report states. The 2023 gambling white paper, High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, was widely criticised for its lack of measures to strengthen the regulations around gambling advertising, despite widespread public support for tighter restrictions.
‘Digital technology has transformed how children and young people consume content, with mobile phone ownership widespread and many spending hours daily on social media,’ said GambleAware CEO Zoë Osmond. ‘Social media platforms and influencers now play a pivotal role in shaping attitudes and behaviours and this research shows that some are playing a part in encouraging young people to gamble. It is unacceptable that children’s environments continue to be flooded with age-restricted content. Consistent exposure to influencer-driven gambling content contributes to the normalisation of gambling amongst school aged children and we know that early exposure to gambling at a younger age can lead young people to have a higher risk of experiencing gambling harm later in life. Urgent action must be taken by the government to catch-up with the digital age.’
Understanding trends between online gambling content, and gambling attitudes and behaviours among children and young people available here