A study led by the University of Cambridge found that gambling companies are reaching young men on social media at more than double the rate of women. The research analyzed 411 advertisements from 88 licensed gambling operators in Ireland and discovered that young men were reached 2.3 times more than women across Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

The study revealed that the age group most exposed to gambling advertising was 25 to 34-year-olds, accounting for over a third of all unique accounts reached, totaling more than 6.2 million impressions. The findings, published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, come as new gambling legislation in Ireland bans most social media gambling advertising unless users opt in to see it.

Lead author Dr. Elena Petrovskaya said, "Even when adverts were set to reach all genders, they still reached that very vulnerable group of young men." The research suggests that exposure to gambling advertising is linked to positive gambling-related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors, with a 'dose response' effect where more exposure increases gambling participation and the risk of harm.