"Children as young as 11 feel tempted to try betting after being flooded by celebrities and sports stars promoting it, according to two reports that found nearly 90% of children aged 13-17 are exposed to gambling content online. The UK's leading gambling charity, GambleAware, which commissioned the reports, urged regulators and policymakers to address social media accounts and influencers producing betting content on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Twitch in light of the findings."
"In one survey of 2,100 children aged 11-17, a quarter said seeing a celebrity gambling, or advertising it, had made them want to follow suit, rising to more than a third (36%) among boys aged 16-17. This was despite the fact that almost four in five children agreed that nobody under the age of 18 should be exposed to content and advertising about gambling. The legal age to bet is 18."
"In a second study, based on focus groups with children aged 13-17, 16% reported seeing content creators sharing links and sign-up codes for gambling operators, while 14% reported seeing them sharing betting tips and tricks. The reports warned about content produced by mainstream UK operators as well as unlicensed sites promoting newer or unregulated products associated with video games such as skins betting and loot boxes."
"Niks Kolosnicins, 24, developed a gambling addiction that severely disrupted his schoolwork and lasted into his university years. I used to see a huge amount of gambling ads when watching online streamers and esports and with my favourite influencers promoting gambling, and many of my friends regularly betting, gambling became normalised for me, he said. Children who contributed to the study referred to seeing well-known sports stars in gambling content."
Children as young as 11 report feeling tempted to try betting after exposure to celebrities, sports stars and influencers promoting gambling online. Nearly 90% of children aged 13-17 are exposed to gambling content across platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Twitch. A survey of 2,100 children aged 11-17 found a quarter felt prompted to gamble after seeing celebrity gambling, rising to 36% for older teenage boys, while most children agreed under-18s should not see gambling content. Content creators share links, sign-up codes and betting tips, and unregulated products such as skins betting and loot boxes are also promoted. Personal accounts describe addiction and normalization of gambling through influencer and peer exposure.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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