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Report

Young People and Gambling 2022

Gambling Commission report produced by Ipsos on young people and their gambling behaviour, attitudes and awareness in 2022.

Published
10 November 2022

Last updated
9 November 2022 - Changes

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Young people’s exposure to gambling adverts and promotions and frequency of exposure

The survey also explored the extent to which young people are exposed to gambling advertising, sponsorships, social media activity and direct marketing.

The proportion of young people who have seen adverts or promotion linked to gambling offline or online is similar (66 percent and 63 percent respectively).

Offline, the most reported form of exposure is when watching television (57 percent) or being at a sports event (37 percent). Online, 11 to 16 year olds were most likely to see gambling adverts on an app (54 percent), on social media (44 percent), on live streaming or video sharing platforms (36 percent), or on a website other than social media (35 percent).

Figure 27: Exposure to gambling adverts – chart shows ‘yes’ responses when asked whether seen or heard adverts or promotions

A bar chart showing where young people had been exposed to gambling adverts in the last 12 months, from 'In newspaper or magazines' to 'On television', if they had answered 'yes' to the question of whether they had seen or heard gambling adverts or promotions. The chart also indicates that '66 percent saw gambling adverts offline' and '63 percent saw gambling adverts online'. Data from the chart is provided within the following table.

Figure 27 information

GC_ADAWARE. Have you seen or heard adverts or promotion about gambling in any of the following places?
Base: All 11 to 16 year olds answering each type of advertising.
Note: This is a multiple response question, so the responses shown will not add up to 100 percent.

Figure 27: Exposure to gambling adverts – chart shows ‘yes’ responses when asked whether seen or heard adverts or promotions.
Exposure to offline or online gambling adverts Percentage who have seen and/or heard gambling adverts (multiple response question, therefore answers do not sum to 100 percent)
Offline 66%
Online 63%
Figure 27: Exposure to gambling adverts – chart shows ‘yes’ responses when asked whether seen or heard adverts or promotions.
Location Percentage who have seen and/or heard gambling adverts (multiple response question, therefore answers do not sum to 100 percent)
On television (TV) 57%
On an app 54%
On social media (including Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok) 44%
At a sports event (for example at football stadiums or on players' shirts or around the pitch) 37%
On live streaming or video sharing platforms (including Twitch, YouTube) 36%
On posters and/or billboards 36%
On another website 35%
On the radio 33%
In newspapers or magazines 33%
Somewhere else 22%

Overall, boys were more likely than girls to have seen or heard adverts or promotions about gambling both offline (68 percent compared with 64 percent) and online (65 percent compared with 61 percent). The most notable difference in exposure is at a sports event (43 percent compared with 31 percent) or via live streaming or video sharing platforms (44 percent compared with 28 percent).

Older age groups (14 to 16 year olds) were more likely to report having seen or heard adverts or promotions about gambling across all forms of both offline and online media, with the exception of newspapers and/or magazines, in comparison to all young people. A similar pattern was evident for young people who had experience of gambling, not necessarily with their own money, over the last 12 months. In addition, young people who had seen family members gamble, in comparison to those who had not, were more likely to recall seeing gambling adverts across most forms of offline and online media.

Young people who recalled seeing or hearing adverts or promotion about gambling were then asked how often they see or hear them. As shown as follows in Figure 28, approaching half of young people who were exposed to gambling adverts online, for example on live streaming and/or video sharing platforms (47 percent), apps (46 percent), or social media websites (45 percent), saw or heard them at least once a week. In contrast, those who saw gambling adverts offline, usually saw them less frequently.

Figure 28: Frequency of seeing and/or hearing gambling promotions and/or adverts at least once a week

A bar chart showing where, from 'In newspapers or magazines' to 'On live streaming or video sharing platforms', young people are seeing and/or hearing gambling promotions and/or adverts at least once a week from the last 12 months. Data from the chart is provided within the following table.

Figure 28 information

GC_ADFREQ. And how often, do you see or hear adverts or promotion about gambling in the following places?
Base: All 11 to 16 year olds answering 'On live streaming or video sharing platforms' (902). 'On an app' (1333). 'On social media' (1087). 'On the radio' (820). 'On television (TV)' (1408). 'Somewhere else' (520). 'At a sports event' (902). 'On another website' (826). 'On posters and/or billboards' (872). 'In newspapers or magazines' (813).
Note: This is a multiple response question, so the responses shown will not add up to 100 percent.

Figure 28: Frequency of seeing and/or hearing gambling promotions and/or adverts at least once a week.
Location Percentage who have seen and/or heard gambling adverts (multiple response question, therefore answers do not sum to 100 percent)
On live streaming or video sharing platforms (including Twitch, YouTube) 47%
On an app 46%
On social media (including Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok) 45%
On the radio 44%
On television (TV) 42%
Somewhere else 40%
At a sports event (for example at football stadiums or on players' shirts or around the pitch) 36%
On another website 35%
On posters and/or billboards 33%
In newspapers or magazines 30%

Overall, boys were more likely to have seen or heard gambling adverts or promotions on a frequent basis than girls, reflecting their greater exposure. For example, boys (53 percent) were more likely to see these adverts on live streaming or video sharing platforms at least once a week than girls (38 percent). Similarly, the proportion of boys who said they had seen gambling adverts on an app at least once a week was higher than girls (52 percent and 39 percent respectively). The figures were similar for frequent exposure on social media (52 percent of boys compared with 38 percent of girls).

Young people who have seen their own family members gamble were also more likely to have seen or heard gambling adverts or promotions on a frequent basis, across all forms of advertising, compared to those who have not seen family members gamble.

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