The rapid expansion of the online gambling industry and integration with social media has fundamentally shifted gambling behaviors, intensifying addictive tendencies among a new generation of users. Once confined to casinos and betting shops, wagering opportunities now live perpetually in people’s pockets, just a tap away. This ubiquity enabled by technology, combined with social platforms’ unrivaled influence and troves of behavioral data, has created a perfect storm – one that lawmakers and health experts warn exerts a particularly insidious pull on young minds.
Gambling Gets Dangerously Convenient
In 2022 alone the online gambling sector grew over 7% globally to reach $92.9 billion in value. This meteoric rise looks set to continue: Morgan Stanley predicts the US online gambling market alone could reach $15 billion by 2025, more than double its 2021 size.
Driving this growth is the sheer omnipresence of betting apps and websites, like Rickys Casino. Over their smartphones, users can now gamble anywhere, at any time – no longer limited by opening hours or geography. This frictionless convenience dramatically intensifies gambling behaviors. A 2021 study found 86% of problem gamblers use mobile devices to place wagers, with 70% doing so for over 4 hours per session.
| Year | Global Online Gambling Market Value |
| 2021 | $86.3 billion |
| 2022 | $92.9 billion |
| 2025 (predicted) | $127 billion |
Social Platforms Actively Enable Addictive Gambling
Beyond convenience, social platforms have become integral to the online gambling ecosystem – actively driving user acquisition and enabling excessive betting habits.
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are filled with gambling operators running targeted ads – using their vast data and advanced algorithms to identify and exploit users already showing addictive tendencies. Referral schemes paying social media influencers and creators up to 35% commission further incentivize the aggressive promotion of gambling content.
Research indicates this is having tangible effects. A 2020 study showed over 25% of problem gamblers found their favored betting site through social media ads. Shockingly this figure rose above 37% among under 25’s – suggesting platforms hold huge sway over young, impressionable minds.
Perceptions Get Distorted Through Curated Lens
Crucially social platforms also enable the proliferation of aspirational gambling content selling an idealized narrative of success, wealth and status. Rather than balanced perspectives, users see a warped, carefully curated lens showing winners, not losers.
The sheer volume of this content is staggering: videos related to gambling amass over 10 billion views annually on TikTok alone. Platforms are monetary incentives also encourage creators to ignore harms, instead doubling down on promoting sites paying the highest commissions.
Researchers warn such content, often created by attractive influencers, has an outsized impact on young people’s risk perceptions and attitudes. 88% of under 25s follow gambling operators on social media, with 63% claiming it makes gambling look like “more fun” than other ad formats.
Stricter Guardrails Required as Harms Mount
While bringing new innovations and convenience, the interlinked expansion of online gambling and social media is also enabling hidden harms, particularly among younger cohorts. Addictive tendencies are being triggered through precisely targeted ads, as perceptions of risk get continually distorted through curated feeds.
To counteract such harms, experts argue platforms must establish stricter guardrails regarding gambling promotions – prohibiting affiliate links, restricting target groups and clearly highlighting risks. Policymakers are also exploring banning credit card use on betting sites, amid links to excessive losses. As technology progresses, new responsible regulations will remain vital to ensure gambling’s risks do not overwhelm its recreational value.