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(AsiaGameHub) –   This study examined the “staggering” reach of gambling advertisements across social media platforms.

Ireland. — A new study from the University of Cambridge has stoked the ongoing debate about gambling advertising in Ireland. Conducted in collaboration with Munster Technological University (MTU) in Cork, this analysis looked at gambling advertisements on social media.

Leveraging Meta’s Ad Library, the research team analyzed advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, with a focus on demographic reach. The study reviewed 411 adverts from 88 licensed Irish gambling operators.

Study results revealed that young men were 2.3 times more likely than women to come across these ads, even though they were not explicitly targeted. Adults aged 25–34 made up roughly one-third of all unique accounts reached by the ads, which generated 6.2 million total impressions. One Betfair campaign reached 1.32 million accounts — equivalent to 26 percent of Ireland’s total population.

Dr Elena Petrovskaya from Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology stated: “Even in a country as small as Ireland, the number of accounts these ads reached was staggering. “We selected Ireland as a case study of an environment where a modern gambling regulatory framework had not yet been adopted.”

Gambling regulations in Ireland are currently undergoing a major overhaul, with the newly established Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) taking over oversight duties under Ireland’s 2024 Gambling Regulation Act. Still, much like across the Irish Sea in the UK, this regulatory review has not quietened demands for stricter rules on gambling advertising.

Leader of the Labour Party Ivana Bacik has been calling for a complete ban on gambling advertising in Ireland. This new research could lend further support to her arguments, particularly around the impact on vulnerable young men. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has cut ties with gambling sponsors, citing social responsibility concerns. In contrast, the League of Ireland has been reluctant to abandon these kinds of partnerships.

Dr. Deirdre Leahy of MTU, a co-author of the study, said the 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. This baseline will be essential for assessing the impact of reforms under the Gambling Regulation Act.”

In Ireland, men aged 25-34 have the highest rate of problem gambling, with 1.3 percent of this age group exhibiting this behavior compared to just 0.2 percent of women in the same age group.

The analysis found that 91 adverts (22 percent) targeted men only, and no adverts targeted only women. Across all 411 adverts, 12.6 million men were reached, compared to 5.4 million women. In total, adverts targeting some part of the age group 25-44 reached 59.4 percent of all accounts reached.