(AsiaGameHub) –   A new study of gambling ads on Meta’s platforms in Ireland has revealed a significant gender gap, with ads reaching male users at more than double the rate of female users.

The report, released on Thursday by a University of Cambridge-led team, concentrated on 88 gambling firms licensed in Ireland. It examined a sample of 411 ads shown from March 2024 to February 2025, reviewing audiences aged 18 to 65 and over.

Scholars from the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling conducted an in-depth analysis of Meta’s ad library. They used data that platforms are compelled to publish under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

This law mandates that major online platforms, such as Meta, supply comprehensive records of paid promotions and related audience demographic breakdowns for EU and European Economic Area nations.

What were the main findings?

The ads were delivered to 12,690,245 male Meta accounts versus 5,458,438 female accounts, a ratio of 2.3 to 1 in favour of men. In total, 18,389,653 distinct accounts saw gambling advertisements during the timeframe.

Out of the 411 ads, 91 (22%) were specifically aimed at men only, with no ads targeting women alone. Most ads (74%) were configured to target ‘All’ audiences.

Regarding age, younger adults received the bulk of ad impressions. The 25-34 cohort was the largest, with 6,246,408 accounts (33.9%). The 35-44 group followed, reaching 4,701,885 accounts (25.5%). Combined, the 25-44 age range made up almost 60% of the total audience reached.

Notably, the study found one Betfair ad reached 1,320,179 unique accounts, about 26% of Ireland’s population of 5.15 million. The five most-seen ads together reached 3,688,413 accounts.

The researchers observed that while direct targeting of men was not extensive, Meta’s ad distribution algorithms heavily favoured male users. They also pointed to the prevalence of sports-themed ads, especially for football, as a key driver of this gender imbalance.

“Not that many adverts directly targeted men to begin with,” stated report lead author Dr Elena Petrovskaya of the Cambridge Department of Computer Science and Technology.

“But even when adverts were set to reach all genders, they still reached that very vulnerable group of young men.

“It shows that if companies just put ads on social media, they are still reaching young men – the group we know from other research is most at risk of gambling harms.”

How does Ireland gamble?

Ireland shows comparatively high gambling participation rates, with an estimated 64.5% of people having gambled in their lifetime. Around 3.3% of the population are considered high-risk gamblers, with men aged 25-34 displaying the highest levels of risky behaviour (1.3%) versus 0.2% for women of the same age.

“Even in a country like Ireland with a small population, the number of accounts these ads reached was dizzying,” Petrovskaya said. “We looked at Ireland as a case study of an environment where a modern gambling regulatory framework had not yet been adopted.”

The data gathering occurred before the full enforcement of measures in Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which commenced in March 2025 and also created the Gambling Regulatory Authority.

These rules imposed tougher advertising restrictions, including a watershed period prohibiting gambling ads on broadcast and on-demand TV and radio from 5.30am to 9.00pm. The rules also apply to social media and video platform ads, limiting them to users who follow a licensed operator.

Co-author Dr Deidre Leahy from MTU Cork stressed the need for more study to evaluate the Gambling Regulation Act.

“This research provides valuable insights that establish a baseline for the reach of gambling advertising on social media in Ireland before the introduction of a regulatory framework.

“This baseline will be essential for assessing the impact of reforms under the Gambling Regulation Act.”

UK MPs brand ads as public health issue

This study contributes to growing proof that gambling advertisements, particularly sports-themed ones aimed at younger men, can make betting seem commonplace.

A recent All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report on UK gambling ads advocated for more stringent reforms.

The report highlighted an increasing focus of advertising expenditure on digital platforms, sports sponsorships, and social media. It proposed that operators were using tactics that could make gambling seem normal to underage viewers. Reacting to the report, UK MPs have classified gambling advertising as a public health concern.

The Cambridge research concluded that the Meta Ad Library is a useful tool for tracking gambling ad practices in Ireland and across the EU.

The authors called for the ongoing use of such platform transparency tools for regulatory monitoring. They also recommended further studies to gauge the effect of the Gambling Regulation Act and vigilant oversight of enforcement to stop ads from bypassing the rules.