The Government of Ireland has been warned to recognise children’s exposure to gambling marketing in media and sports when finalising the regulatory terms of the Gambling Regulation Bill of Ireland (GRB).
The warning comes from BMC Public Health, a research agency conducting a “qualitative study exploring children’s exposure to and understanding of gambling marketing, risks, and harms in Ireland.”
Research was commissioned due to increased concerns about the “normalisation of gambling in sports” and reports from Irish public health agencies of a “significant increase in underage gambling.”
In its abstract, the report notes that Ireland currently has insufficient evidence on how gambling advertising is consumed and interpreted by children: “To build this evidence base and provide granular broad-level data, this study explored the sport consumption habits and views of Irish children (aged 14–17 years) on their exposure, awareness, and perceptions of the relationship between sport and gambling.”
The research aimed to understand how exposure to gambling marketing affects children’s awareness and perceptions of gambling, particularly in the context of sports. Researchers focused the study on face-to-face feedback from 51 children from various sports clubs and community associations in the Republic of Ireland. Participants discussed their media consumption habits and perceptions of gambling marketing.
Feedback established four main themes detailing how children engage with gambling marketing in sports and media platforms:
Theme-1 warns stakeholders that Children predominantly consumed sports content through social media (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube) rather than traditional mass media like television.
“It was clear that the majority of children in this study did not consume their sports via mass media. No longer seeking to control the remote television, they preferred to consume sports through social media and only watched mass media when the event many of them wanted to see was already showing via their parent’s or older sibling’s selection on the household television; some examples included Ultimate Fighting Chamoionship, Aintree Grand National and Premier League football.”
In contrast to adult audiences, children reported high exposure to gambling marketing, especially on social media and sports broadcasts, as well as in their local communities (betting shop advertising, local newspapers, and sports sponsorships).
Further themes revealed ‘mixed perceptions’ and ‘skepticism’ among children, with many acknowledging the financial risks of gambling and doubting the claims made in gambling ads. Some even resisted the growing influence of gambling in sports. Though skeptical of advertising messages, the study noted that policymakers should be aware of the saturation of gambling messages, which could normalise gambling among children.
Celebrities and sports stars promoting gambling were identified as having a notable impact on children’s engagement with betting brands, though many expressed concerns about the ethics of such endorsements. The study calls for robust legislation in both jurisdictions to better protect children from gambling marketing. New laws should recognise gambling harm as a public health issue and implement restrictions on the types of gambling marketing allowed in sports and other environments frequented by children.
On advertising, ministers were advised to endorse better public health messaging, regulatory oversight, and stronger legislation to protect children from gambling harm and its normalisation in sports. The government was recommended to impose limits on gambling marketing exposure in sports, especially during times when children are likely to be watching sports across various media.
For social media platforms, the study recommends stricter controls on the use of influencers to promote gambling to young audiences and possibly banning such practices altogether for underage users.
The Republic of Ireland has no set timeline for the Gambling Regulation Bill (GRB) to become law. In late 2022, Ireland’s tri-coalition government agreed on the regulatory framework of the GRB, which is intended to replace the outdated Irish Betting Act of 1931. Originally slated to become law in 2023, the Bill has been delayed in the Dáil since July as ministers review provisions related to the reorganisation of Ireland’s gambling market.
The government remains committed to establishing the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRA), headed by CEO designate Anne Marie Caulfield, but no clear timeline has been set for the Bill’s passage.
The delay stems from disagreements among political parties over reforms to criminal codes, advertising/media regulations for gambling, and unresolved issues regarding the funding of horseracing as a heritage sport. The Ministry of Justice has emphasized the importance of passing the GRB, as Irish courts are currently unable to rely on the outdated Betting Act of 1931 to resolve modern gambling disputes.