A University of Cambridge study has been thrust into the debate around gambling advertising in Ireland amid wider concerns about the industry’s societal impact in the country.
Ireland is in the midst of a phase of re-regulation, with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) taking charge of the country’s betting market under the remit of the 2024 Gambling Regulation Act.
Much like the Gambling Act review on the other side of the Irish Sea, the re-regulation of Ireland’s betting market left some advocates for gambling reform, like the Labour Party, still chasing major changes to advertising regulation.
According to the University of Cambridge, which conducted joint research with Munster Technological University (MTU) in Cork, gambling advertising in Ireland disproportionately impacts young men.
The university conducted a study of social media advertising using the Meta Ad library, assessing published adverts and demographic data across platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Dr Elena Petrovskaya, from the university’s Department of Computer Science and Technology, and lead author of the report, remarked that ‘not that many adverts directly targeted men to begin with’.
However, she added that: “But even when adverts were set to reach all genders, they still reached that very vulnerable group of young men.
“It shows that if companies just put ads on social media, they are still reaching young men – the group we know from other research is most at risk of gambling harms.”
Cambridge researchers analysed 411 adverts across 88 licensed Irish operators, concluding that young men were 2.3 times more likely to be reached by social media adverts than women, even though ads were not directly targeting men.
People in the 25-34 age bracket accounted for a third of all unique accounts reached, totalling 6.2 million impressions. Researchers highlighted one advert in particular that reached 1.32 million unique accounts.
Irish advertising row not abating
The debate around gambling in Ireland has, much like in other major European gambling markets including the UK, Netherlands and Italy, focused heavily on sponsorship.
The presence of bookmaker branding in popular Irish sports tournaments like the Gaelic football and hurling leagues of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and the League of Ireland (LOI) has been an issue of contention for many years.
The GAA ultimately opted to call it quits on gambling sponsorships, citing concerns around customer protection and societal impact. The LOI, much like its English counterpart in the EFL and the governance of the Premier League, has been less keen to sever commercial ties with the sport, given the money it brings in.
The Gambling Regulation Act and remit of the GRAI is now set, with the latter taking on licensing duties this year. Nonetheless, some political figures like Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik, remains adamant that a blanket ban on gambling advertising in Ireland is necessary.
Research from the likes of Cambridge and MTU will likely factor heavily into this debate, particularly as it focuses on the impact of social media advertising – adding another layer to a debate which has heavily revolved around sports sponsorships and TV ads.
The fact that the researcher’s findings about the impact of advertising on young men, who according to Irish government statistics are some of the most likely to be affected by gambling related harm, will be particularly significant for gambling reform advocates.
“This research provides valuable insights that establish a baseline for the reach of gambling advertising on social media in Ireland before the introduction of a regulatory framework,” said Dr Deirdre Leahy from MTU, a co-author of the research.
“This baseline will be essential for assessing the impact of reforms under the Gambling Regulation Act.”
