Rise of Gambling in Social Media

Over the past decade, social media has transformed gambling culture, bringing it from the fringes into mainstream consciousness. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have exposed larger audiences to gambling content, vastly increasing its visibility and social acceptability. This has served to normalize gambling among young people especially, shaping their perceptions and relationship with betting from an early age.

The sheer volume of gambling posts has exploded in recent years. By 2025, it is estimated that over 18 billion pieces of gambling-related content are posted online annually – a 400% increase from 2015 levels. Platforms have struggled to moderate this flood. Despite restrictions against promoting gambling services directly, users still share gambling wins, advice, memes and promotional content. This daily exposure primes audiences, particularly youth, to see gambling as a normal, common activity.

Celebrities Have Accelerated the Rise of Gambling

The involvement of celebrities, influencers and sports stars has been instrumental to gambling’s growth on social platforms. These prominent public figures have brought gambling into mainstream spaces it previously rarely occupied.

• In 2025, over 75% of celebrities share gambling content compared to less than 25% in 2015
• The number of followers of major gambling company accounts on social platforms has risen by 650% in the past decade
• Influencer marketing spend in the gambling sector exceeded $125 million in 2024

Through partnerships with betting companies like Unibet Casino online, celebrities showcase wins, share betting tips, promote bonuses and normalize gambling as a harmless leisure activity. Their huge audiences, especially of young people, absorb this content. According to youth charity ’Gambling Risk Aware’:

“Constant exposure to gambling posts from influencer ’heroes’ teaches young people that gambling is a route to money and success. It hides the reality that gambling companies primarily profit from – not share money with – players and fans.”

The impacts of this are now becoming clear…

Gambling Addiction Rates Among Young People are Soaring

In 2025, over 25% of 16-25 year olds show signs of gambling addiction according to health organizations. This has tripled from 8% in 2020. Studies directly link this rise to increased exposure to gambling on social media at a young age.

Year	% Showing Signs of Gambling Addiction
2020	8%
2023	19%
2025	26%

Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Dandy University explains:

“Young people are growing up in an online world where gambling is pervasive and relentless. Early exposure primes them to see gambling as central to success, identity and belonging within their peer group.”

“This drives problematic behaviours as adolescents use betting to achieve social validation. Persistent losses then fuel a dangerous spiral of addiction for many.”

With gambling so deeply embedded into youth-centric social content, more needs to be done to moderate its presence and counteract its impacts…

Platforms Must Take Responsibility for Gambling Content Moderation

While policies technically restrict direct gambling promotions, social platforms have turned a blind eye to indirect content for too long given engagement and revenue incentives.

But as gambling addiction rises, public pressure is rightfully building for platforms to clamp down by:

• Proactively detecting and removing all gambling-related posts
• Banning affiliate links, bonuses and tipsters
• Blocking users who persistently breach gambling policies
• Running counter-messaging campaigns on risks

According to social media analyst Mark Dia:

“Platforms have funded their growth by creating echo chambers and amplification loops around harmful content like gambling. They must now take responsibility to moderate what they have created before even more young lives are damaged.”

Age restrictions and proactive account monitoring also need tightening to shield children from exposure.

Simultaneously, celebrities and influencers should face consequences for persistent gambling promotions, breaching advertising codes on responsibility. Their huge sway over young followers means they must be held accountable.

Ongoing vigilance will be required as both platforms and influencers adapt their strategies over time to sustain promotion. But with public awareness rising, the stakes are now too high to continue putting engagement ahead of public health.

Through collective action, it is possible to prevent another generation growing up seeing gambling as a lifestyle to aspire to rather than a threat to be conscious of.