GambleAware has recently released research findings indicating that a large number of British teenagers are being exposed to gambling content through social media and influencer marketing, highlighting the severity of this issue.
The survey, conducted by Social Finance and Sherbert Research, covered teenagers aged 13 to 17 across three regions in the UK, and found:
87% of respondents had encountered gambling content online;
79% of people believe that gambling advertisements on social media should be more strictly regulated;
78% of people firmly believe that minors under the age of 18 should not be exposed to any gambling-related advertisements or content.
The study indicates that social platforms and celebrity influencers have become the main channels through which minors are exposed to gambling. Respondents commonly reported that gambling advertisements on platforms like YouTube are "frequent and repulsive".
Notably, one quarter of the teenagers stated that after seeing celebrities endorse or promote gambling, they had considered spending money to participate; among boys aged 16-17, 36% even admitted to having actually engaged in gambling as a result. The majority of survey participants (about two-thirds) believe that this phenomenon should not occur.
In response, GambleAware CEO Zoe Osmond stated: "The environment that children are in is filled with age-restricted content, which is unacceptable. Continued exposure to gambling advertisements driven by influencers can gradually normalize gambling behaviors among school-aged children. We know that early exposure to gambling significantly increases the risk of gambling harm in the future."
Meanwhile, GambleAware is also undergoing changes in its management. Osmond is expected to step down soon, with Anna Hargrave taking over as the interim CEO, and the organization is scheduled to orderly shut down in March 2025.
GambleAware reiterates its call for stronger regulation of social media, influencer promotion, and content marketing to prevent teenagers from becoming prematurely involved in gambling.
