Young people in Ireland think gambling is ‘a normal part of sport’

Teens on the Irish border view betting as “an increasingly normal part of sport”, according to a new study.

Published in BMC Public Health, the research analysed responses from 51 teenagers who enjoyed watching sports and lived near the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The study’s authors warned that since the children were “heavily exposed to gambling marketing through social media” and recognised several gambling firms, it could lead to underage gambling.

YouTube

On betting advertisements, one participant in a focus group explained: “Like you always see them when you’re watching YouTube, like every two videos … especially if the team is sponsored by one of them”.

Another added: “Bet365? Yeah, I always hear that one when I’m watching football … like in the ads and stuff.”

The researchers noted that such exposure has “created an awareness of gambling, its major operators, and an uncritical acceptance of gambling’s normalisation within sports”.

They warned: “A broader public health risk is that if children who follow sports feel that gambling is a normal part of sports and that they follow and are influenced by personalities on social media, then current regulations in both jurisdictions are woefully unprepared to counteract this.”

Restrictions

Last month, the Irish Government emphasised that gambling restrictions will soon come into law despite “endless” lobbying from the betting industry.

Justice Minister James Browne, who introduced the Gambling Regulation Bill in 2022, announced that a final vote on the proposals should take place by the end of next month.

The legislation – currently under consideration by the Seanad – would establish a national regulator, create a social impact fund to address problem gambling, and ban advertising across on-demand services, television and radio between 5:30am and 9pm.