Young men who are already the group most at risk of problem gambling are being exposed to gambling advertisements on social media at more than double the rate of women, according to a new study that raises concerns over how online platforms deliver betting promotions.
The research, led by the University of Cambridge and published in the Journal of Behavioural Addictions, examined 411 advertisements from 88 casinos in Ireland and found that men were reached 2.3 times more often than women across Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.
Researchers say the findings point to a troubling overlap between digital advertising systems and known patterns of gambling harm, particularly among younger male users.
Across all advertisements analysed, 12.69 million male accounts were reached, compared with 5.46 million female accounts, despite the fact that most adverts were not explicitly aimed at men.
Lead author Dr Elena Petrovskaya, from Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology, said the results suggest that social media advertising can still disproportionately expose vulnerable groups even without direct demographic targeting.
Young Adults Receive the Highest Exposure
The study found that the 25 to 34 age group was the most heavily exposed, accounting for 6.25 million unique accounts, or 33.9% of all accounts reached.
The 35 to 44 age group followed with 4.7 million impressions, meaning that nearly 60% of all advertising reach was concentrated among users aged 25 to 44. This is particularly significant because men in this age bracket are already statistically the most likely to experience gambling-related harm in Ireland.
According to data cited in the study, 1.3% of men aged 25–34 in Ireland are classified as high-risk gamblers, compared with just 0.2% of women of the same age.
Previous research has consistently linked exposure to gambling advertising with increased participation, more positive attitudes towards betting, and a higher likelihood of impulsive gambling behaviour.
Researchers also point to what is known as a “dose-response effect”, where repeated exposure to advertising can lead to greater gambling activity and a corresponding rise in harm.
Algorithms May be Amplifying Risk
One of the most striking conclusions from the study is that the imbalance in exposure does not appear to be solely the result of direct advertiser choices. Only 91 adverts, or 22% of the total sample, explicitly targeted men, while none targeted women only.
Still, the actual delivery figures remained heavily skewed toward male users. This suggests that the platform’s ad delivery algorithms may be amplifying exposure among groups that are already more likely to engage with gambling content.
Researchers warn that this creates a serious public health issue, as digital platforms may be unintentionally strengthening harmful behavioural patterns through engagement-based advertising systems.
The scale of exposure was described as ‘dizzying,’ even in a country with a relatively small population. In total, the 411 adverts reached 18.39 million unique accounts. But researchers note that the same person may have been counted more than once if they had multiple accounts.
Single Advert Reached ¼ of Ireland
The most widely seen advertisement in the study was published by Betfair and reached more than 1.32 million unique Meta accounts. This represents approximately 26% of Ireland’s total population, highlighting the enormous reach of social media advertising campaigns.
Researchers said the sheer scale of visibility shows how quickly betting promotions can spread across digital platforms, especially when linked to sports, in-play betting, and promotional offers.
The study notes that gambling advertising on social media has expanded rapidly in recent years, often becoming closely intertwined with sports culture and fandom, particularly among young men. Researchers argue that the connection may further normalise betting behaviour.
Regulation Reaches Ireland
The findings come at a pivotal moment for gambling regulation in Ireland.
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which came into force in March 2025, introduced major reforms aimed at reducing harm and increasing oversight of the industry.
Among the new rules are restrictions on social media advertising, limiting gambling promotions to users who actively follow licensed operators.
The legislation also established the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, which is responsible for enforcing the new framework.
Co-author Dr Deirdre Leahy, from Munster Technological University in Cork, said the research provides an important benchmark for measuring the impact of the reforms.
“This research provides valuable insights that establish a baseline for the reach of gambling advertising on social media in Ireland before the introduction of a regulatory framework,” she said.
In her words, the baseline will be key in reviewing the effect of reforms under the Gambling Regulation Act.
Broader Implications
Researchers believe the methodology used in the study could be applied internationally, particularly in countries where gambling advertising remains lightly regulated.
Because the data was drawn from the Meta Ad Library, which operates under transparency requirements introduced by the EU Digital Services Act, the same approach could be used to examine advertising practices across other European countries.
The researchers are also calling for wider adoption of transparency laws that allow independent scrutiny of advertising by industries linked to public harm.
With gambling advertising continuing to expand in markets such as the UK, Australia and the United States, experts say the findings may strengthen calls for stricter controls on how online platforms deliver betting promotions to vulnerable audiences.
