Study: Gambling ads on Meta platforms reach young men at 2.3 times the rate of women
By
Sarah Collins External Affairs and Communications
24d ago· 4 min readenNews
74/100
Toasty
Bagelometer↗
Reliable enough to start your morning with. Toast it again tomorrow.
Score74TypenewsSentimentnegative
Summary
A University of Cambridge-led study analyzed 411 gambling advertisements from 88 licensed operators in Ireland and found that young men are reached 2.3 times more than women on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram), even without direct targeting. The 25-34 age group accounted for over a third of all unique accounts reached, totaling more than 6.2 million impressions. The research, published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, highlights that gambling companies are disproportionately reaching young men—the demographic most at risk for problem gambling behavior.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledResearchers led by the University of Cambridge analysed 411 advertisements from 88 licensed gambling operators in Ireland and found that young men were reached 2.3 times more than women across Meta platforms including Facebook and Instagram, even if the ads were not directly targeting men.
The age group most exposed to gambling advertising was 25 to 34-year-olds, who accounted for over a third of all unique accounts reached, a total of more than 6.2 million impressions.
Gambling companies are reaching young men – the group most likely to exhibit problem gambling behaviour – on social media at more than double the rate of women.
Gambling companies are reaching young men – the group most likely to exhibit problem gambling behaviour – on social media at more than double the rate of
