Josep Maria Suelves
Researcher at the Behavioural Design Lab at the UOC eHealth Centre, member of the board of directors of the Public Health Society of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, and vice-chairman of the National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking
According to data from 2024 published by the Ministry of Health, 53.8% of the Spanish population aged 15 to 64 had participated in some form of gambling in the previous 12 months (56.1% of men and 51.5% of women). Some people who gamble continue to do so even though this behavior causes them various problems, in what is known as a gambling disorder that resembles addiction to psychoactive substances such as nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs. Furthermore, gambling disorder is associated with a higher risk of developing other mental disorders, engaging in suicidal behavior, as well as social problems and poverty.
The recently published study provides data that reveals the characteristics of the population targeted by gambling advertising campaigns on social media. Unlike other studies that have relied on self-reports from surveys—in which participants are asked if they recall seeing the content of specific advertising campaigns—the researchers analyzed data provided by Meta (the company that manages social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram) regarding the characteristics of individuals who viewed advertising campaigns promoted by Irish gambling companies. Among the findings, it is particularly noteworthy that gambling advertisements were viewed more frequently by men than by women (2.3 times more men than women), and that people aged 25 to 34 accounted for more than one-third of the total campaign impressions.
These results help shed light on the impact of promotional campaigns and may help explain the male predominance in the prevalence of gambling disorders.