Maynooth University Department of Sociology

The Youth, Gambling Marketing and the Shared Island (YouGaMSI) research team will launch its final report: 'Code Red: Young People and their Exposure to Gambling Marketing through Media and Live Sport on the island of Ireland’ on 4th October 2024 (10.30-14.30) at an event to be held at Buswell's Hotel, in Dublin city centre.

 

The report examines the exposure of young people in both jurisdictions in Ireland to gambling marketing through sport on television and social media and the implications of this for society more generally. 

 

Gambling marketing is now heavily associated with certain sports and associated with the broadcast of a wide array of sports through television  and social media. The project found that young people are increasingly aware of, and can recall gambling communications. They are encountering these messages both on television but also via social media on their mobile phones. Analysis of television sports programmes found that some broadcast television programmes were saturated with gambling marketing references, and these communications were amplified by social media campaigns using a range of media techniques.  

 

The ‘YouGaMSI’ project is a collaboration between academics at Maynooth University and at Ulster University,  Belfast. The project commenced in 2022 and sought to examine the extent of exposure of young people on the island of Ireland and how this impacts their perceptions of gambling, sport and harm. The project conducted focus groups with young people and conducted media content analysis of television programmes and social media content. 

 

The project is funded by the 'North-South Research Programme, part of the 'Shared Island' initiative of the Irish government and administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). 

Registration is required here - https://forms.office.com/e/WnbBcYbeS5

Please direct all enquiries to: [email protected]