CODE RED: Young People and their Exposure to Gambling Marketing through Media and Sport on the island of Ireland

Academics from Maynooth University and Ulster University have spent two years examining the exposure of young people on the island of Ireland to gambling marketing content while consuming their favourite sports on television and social media. The project found that young people who lived on both sides of the border in Ireland were exposed to extremely high levels of gambling marketing when consuming some national and international sporting events. Young people are accessing this content on television but increasingly, and repeatedly over time, via social media on their mobile phones. The research also found that gambling marketing saturation varies considerably across sports, channels and platforms. Gambling marketing was most prevalent in certain sports but was available both on television and social media at all times of the day. It is clear that current gambling regulations and approaches in both jurisdictions are ineffective in limiting the exposure of young people to gambling marketing, and its frequency, when sports and media organisations are willing to carry them. Further, the health and community benefits of sport are seriously undermined if those sports are reliant on gambling marketing or gambling revenues. The report concludes with a number of policy recommendations. The research was funded by the Irish government’s North-South Research Programme.