Report
Young people and gambling: Qualitative research
Qualitative research conducted by 2CV, with 11 to 17 year olds, to build on and contextualise the findings from the annual Young People and Gambling survey.
Contents
- About the research
- Summary of findings
- Research approach
- Methodology
- Qualitative research sample
- Strengths and limitations of the research
- Defining gambling through the eyes of young people
- Findings
- Expanding sphere of influence
- Impact of personal technology and social media
- How the changing spaces of gambling reduces supervision
- Heightened risks of exposure and potential harm for teenage boys
- Misunderstanding of gambling and associated risks
- What new learning has this research brought to the Gambling Commission
- Appendix
2 - Impact of personal technology and social media
“We were in the car for ages, so I was on my phone. I saw lots of bet365 adverts and Paddy Power and when I went on the football flash score website, I saw loads more.”
Male, 12 to 13 years old, Wales
The increasing prevalence of technology among children and young people is well documented, with mobile phone usage among 11 to 17 year olds near ubiquitous. Ofcom reported in 2024 that 99 percent of children spend time online, with 9 in 10 children owning a mobile phone by the age of 11 years old. Almudena Lara (Ofcom Online Safety Policy Director) mentions that there is a “blurred boundary between the lives children lead online and the ‘real world’” (opens in new tab). A separate 2023 survey (opens in new tab) found of UK children aged 12 to 15 years old that 83 percent played online games with online gaming among children experiencing a huge jump in popularity during COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Young people’s reliance on phones, tablets, and gaming consoles has grown significantly, a trend accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. The restrictions on face-to-face interactions during this time fostered more solitary behaviours, with many young people spending increased time online, often in their bedrooms, away from parental oversight.
Digital platforms became the primary medium for socialising and connecting with peers, forming the foundation of their new social interactions and friendships. This shift, coupled with the natural developmental desire for independence and peer engagement, has established a technology-driven lifestyle for young people as the norm.
This research highlighted 2 main ways in which young people encountered gambling in their digital world:
- Through advertising, sponsorships and promotions.
- By watching videos of people (often content creators) betting or sharing tips on betting.
Exposure to gambling advertisements and sponsorship online
Young people had high levels of spontaneous awareness of gambling companies.
“I was just watching the press conference with Erol Bulut, the Cardiff City [Football] Manager, on Instagram and there was lots of advertising logos in the background including gambling ones. I noticed Bet 365, Paddy Power, and William Hill.”
Male, 12 to 13 years old, Wales
This highlighted how gambling advertisements were subtly embedded within their social media platforms and when attending sporting events, creating exposure that often went unnoticed. While gambling advertising in adult-oriented spaces like pubs, walking past betting shops, and sports venues were easily recognised, advertising and sponsorships in the digital world were far more subtle, frequently slipping under the radar.
Some young people had downloaded sports apps onto their phones (for example LiveScore and FotMob) or had access to friends and family members apps. These apps provided another everyday channel for young people to be exposed to advertising, sponsorship and promotions particularly when checking the latest sporting scores results and scores.
“I've been looking at the football scores all day when I can get signal. I saw bet 360 and BetFred adverts then. I'm also looking forward to the Cardiff city game tomorrow and when I checked the times of the game it told me the odds.”
Male, 12 to 13 years old, Wales
A few young people shared examples of friends whose Dads’ have set them up on sports betting apps - typically, older teenage boys aged 15 years and older. When discussed, many young people felt that these specific apps might be the gateway into more risky, longer term gambling behaviours and explained how some of their friends have already started to lose a significant amount of money and have expressed a desire to place bets on a regular basis.
[Using betting apps] “I know they went through their Dad to do it [bet], because obviously, when you’re 15, you can’t place a bet can you? So, I know they went through their Dad to do it.”
Male, 16 to 17 years old, Scotland
Exposure to gambling behaviours online via content creators
Among older participants (16 to 17 years old), exposure to gambling was more prevalent, highlighting the increased risks with more unsupervised time spent online. To that extent, social media allowed young people to:
- observe others’ gaming and gambling behaviours - placing bets, the results of these bets and ‘tips’ on how to gamble on sites such as TikTok. Shown by one young person when discussing their ‘For You' page on TikTok:
[Gambling content on TikTok] “It’s random, so on your ‘For You’ page, it would just be a guy and then if he’s happy, if he’s won it… Like a role play of it, how it could be done.”
Female, 16 to 17 years old, Scotland - decide which games to play through video walkthroughs and reviews
- engage with gaming-related content, such as FIFA (EAFC) or Fortnite, that may include gambling-like features.
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch were frequently discussed during the research and examples shared of seeing gambling content on their curated ‘For You’ pages. In addition, content creators were seen as not only promoting direct gambling activities but also incorporating gambling-like features, such as loot boxes, into their content. In addition, young people were also exposed to videos of bets being placed and top tips from people who gamble in games on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and live streaming sites, like Twitch or Kick as related here:
“There are streamers online, like Yung Filly, that will play a game of FIFA, and they’ll have £10k on the line… they’re a wee bit older, early twenties, but their fan base are 16, 17, 18 years old.”
Male, 16 to 17 years old, Scotland
Through the examples that young people shared during the research and their surprise at the presence of gambling exposure in their daily lives, the findings highlight that exposure to gambling can vary substantially. Moreover, the findings reveal how social media blurs the lines between gaming and gambling and how gambling behaviours can be subtly embedded within everyday digital interactions. Content creators, often trusted by young audiences are ‘teaching’ young people gambling behaviours in spaces that are not monitored by parental or trusted adult supervision.
“While scrolling on Instagram reels, a video of a person gambling popped up.”
Male, 16 to 17 years old, Scotland
In summary, young people’s lives are increasingly shaped by the digital world, with significant time spent online, often alone. This creates diverse opportunities for gambling exposure, ranging from sports sponsorships on TV to more concerning activities such as online content creators showcasing bets, sharing wins and losses, and providing gambling tips. The young people taking part in this research were surprised at the nature and regularity of gambling exposure in their ‘world’. This suggests that young people's gambling exposure is low conscious and typically goes unnoticed.
“I know that one of my friends (age 15), he has tons of gambling apps. I always tell him to delete them because he always tells me how he’s lost money and then he’ll be really sad. Then he’ll gain money and he’ll be really happy, so he won’t delete them.”
Female, 14 to 15 years old, London
Expanding sphere of influence Next section
How the changing spaces of gambling reduces supervision
Last updated: 25 February 2025
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