GambleAware CEO calls for “urgent action” to protect children from gambling advertising

New research by GambleAware has found that children are “saturated” with gambling-like content and promotions while using the internet despite restrictions around advertising targeting young people.

The newly released report, commissioned and published by the charity in conjunction with CultureStudio Research and Sherbert Research, studied, via interviews, three groups of children and young people: seven to 11-year-olds, 11 to 25-year-olds “affected others” and 11 to 17-year-olds “defined as vulnerable”. 

The research builds on a body of work funded by GambleAware which explores how gambling impacts affects the lives of these demographics.

The findings revealed that, overall, children viewed gambling as a “normal part of everyday life” and that it was “part of the experience of growing up”, with activities such as The National Lottery, scratchcards and online gambling-like features like lootboxes featuring regularly in their everyday lives.

Among all three groups, most had participated in some form of occasional gambling activity, often led by either a parent or family member.

When asked to define what gambling was, most children pointed to more traditional land-based forms of gambling, such as playing on fruit machines in a pub or placing a bet in a local bookmaker.

Similarly, children said online spaces such as YouTube or Fortnite can feel “saturated” with “gambling or gambling-like content and advertising”. However, this kind of content did not fall under the definition of gambling by the cohort. 

The research also found that children found it difficult to distinguish between gambling products and gambling-like content online as they so closely resembled each other, including mobile phone games and in-app purchases. The report warned that the sensory nature of the content, such as cartoon graphics, are likely to be of strong appeal to children, particularly those with special educational needs or disabilities.

Some of those surveyed said they thought gambling and gambling-like activities were satisfying and exciting, provided them with an adrenaline rush, relieved boredom and how winning moments could be shared on social media and with family. Some said they used this kind of activity as a way of making money.

For the latter, the research suggested that a wider definition of gambling may be required to include these types of activities as they can be played using virtual currencies paid for with real money, and also to include free-to-play slot games on app stores.  The report also called for a more robust regulation of gambling advertising, especially online, as the ads often utilise tones and visuals similar to other unrelated adverts specifically targeted at children.

A new lexicon of terms was another recommendation outlined in the report, with the aim of explaining the overlap between traditional forms of gambling and online gambling-like games and social media mechanisms which normalise gambling behaviour. This would be achieved through further research with children and young people.

Additionally, the research found that the prevalence of gambling education for young people does not meet the required standard and more effective ways need to be introduced in schools such as interactive sessions with in-person lived experiences of gambling-related harm.

Parents should likewise be educated on how exposing and normalising gambling to young children young can be harmful and increase the risks around online gambling-like games. Furthermore, the report called for family support and interventions for those classed as “vulnerable” as well as peer support groups for “affected others”.

On the report’s findings, Zoe Osmond, CEO of GambleAware, said: “This research shows that gambling content is now part of many children’s lives. This is worrying, as early exposure to gambling can normalise gambling for children at a young age and lead to problems. We need to see more restrictions put on gambling advertising and content to ensure it is not appearing in places where children can see it. Urgent action is needed to protect children.”

Nicki Karet, managing director of Sherbert Research, added: “The grey area between online gambling and gambling-like gaming is confusing, especially for younger children, and blurs the lines between what is and isn’t gambling. This grey area is further confusing because gambling advertising, particularly online, often uses visuals and tonal expressions that can be seen to directly target children, such as cartoon graphics, bright colours and sounds.”

Hanna Chalmers, founder of CultureStudio Research, concluded: “We carried out this research to find out more about the lived experiences and the realities of gambling and gambling-related harms amongst children.

“From the interviews we conducted we found that children are noticing gambling content in the world around them, which does affect them. Protections do need to be put in place to ameliorate harm and to ensure that gambling is not having a negative impact on children and young people’s lives today.”

Earlier this month, GambleAware reported that more than 100,000 individuals had used the charity’s online self-assessment tool in less than a year of the system going live.