University of Cambridge Study Reveals Gambling Advertisements Reach Young Men at Double the Rate of Women

New research from the University of Cambridge shows young men are reached by social media gambling ads at more than double the rate of women.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 28, 2026, 9:28 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EurekAlert!

Disproportionate Reach of Digital Gambling Promotions

A recent analysis of social media advertising patterns has uncovered a significant gender imbalance in the distribution of gambling content. Researchers at the University of Cambridge examined 411 advertisements from 88 licensed operators in Ireland, discovering that young men were reached at more than double the rate of women. Even when advertisements were configured to reach all genders, the internal mechanics of social media platforms resulted in 12.6 million impressions for men compared to just 5.4 million for women.

Leveraging Transparency for Public Health Research

The study was made possible by the Meta Ad Library and mandates established under the EU Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to disclose demographic data for advertisements. Dr. Elena Petrovskaya from Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology noted that the data provided a clear window into how vulnerable groups are exposed to gambling content. This transparency allowed the team to track over 6.2 million impressions specifically within the 25 to 34-year-old demographic, which accounted for more than a third of all unique accounts reached.

The Intersection of Exposure and Behavioral Risk

Scientific literature suggests a dose-response relationship where increased exposure to gambling promotions correlates with higher participation and potential harm. In Ireland, the group most exposed to these ads, men aged 25-34, also exhibits the highest rate of problem gambling at 1.3%. This is a stark contrast to women in the same age bracket, where the rate is only 0.2%. The Cambridge study highlights that the volume of digital reach is often dizzying, with a single promotion from Betfair reaching approximately 26% of the Irish population.