‘Inescapable’ social media gambling ads being pushed by influencers on teens

Young teenagers are unable to switch off from gambling ads being pushed on them by social media influencers, increasing their likelihood of financial problems later in life.

Experts are warning as Generation Z use their phones more and more, the normalisation of online gambling will harm the cohort as they grow older.

Curtin School of Population Health lecturer Louise Francis said there is no way for young people to avoid gambling ads as social media becomes more attached to everyday life.

“What they (teenagers) were saying is they are really inundated with gambling advertising on their social media feeds,” she said.

“They talked about it being a lot and really inescapable, that was one comment that a young person said.

“It’s just there for them, and they really see it particularly in their social media feeds.”

According to a March discussion paper by the Australia Institute, 30 per cent of those aged 12-17 years old gamble, spending a total of $18.4 million each year on gambling activities.

Dr Francis said this generation were the first to grow up with “unprecedented” social media access.

“They’re really that first generation being exposed to this saturation of gambling advertising,” she said.

“If we don’t do something now — really, we should have done something 10 years ago — it will go into the future of these young people growing into adults and not knowing any different.

“As long as we keep focus on the entertainment aspect of gambling and making it a really social and marketable activity those things can continue to cause trouble later in life.”

Dr Francis said paying influencers to promote their products was often more cost effective for gambling companies.

“It’s probably a cheaper way for them to reach a wider audience because they’re going on the social media influencers reach and how many their people they’ve got,” she said.

“It is a cheap form of advertising for the gambling industry and other industries to connect in with.”

Despite calls from experts for years, little has been done in the space to reduce the problem.

Even the Federal Government’s own 2023 ‘You Win Some, You Lose More’ report into online gambling which handed down 31 recommendations to reform the sector has gone unanswered by legislation.

Dr Francis said the Government had so far failed to act on the calls of experts.

“The government is very much attuned to the impacts on an industry and their profit margins as opposed to public health and so no, I don’t think the government is doing enough,” she said.

“If they were they would have immediately accepted the ‘You Win Some, You Lose More’ inquiry and the 31 recommendations.

“The fact that that’s dragged on for so many years is a clear indication that they’re not doing enough, they don’t need any more research on this, they’ve got the facts in front of them.”