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The latest data from the five-year study tells an interesting story. Overall, gambling participation among students has actually decreased, dropping by 13 percentage points from 78% to 65% between 2022 and 2026. At first glance, this sounds like good progress. But when you look a little closer, a more concerning trend starts to appear.
The proportion of students citing social media as an influence on their gambling behaviour has increased by 11 percentage points (from 23% in 2022 to 34% in 2026) with most of this rise happening in just the last year.
So, while fewer students may be gambling overall, for those who are, social media is playing a bigger role than ever. This didn’t come as a surprise to me, but it does raise an important question: why is social media becoming such a powerful influence on gambling behaviour?
To understand this, it helps to think about how social media itself has changed. Facebook took off after its launch in 2004 because of features like the News Feed, the ‘Like’ button, and instant messaging. It completely changed how people interacted online.
Fast forward to now, and the experience looks very different. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram reels and YouTube Shorts are driven by algorithms and short-form content. Instead of actively searching for things, students are mostly being shown content based on what keeps them watching.
Compare that to how older generations used social media, the shift is pretty clear. You didn’t just stumble across content in the same way. Now, you don’t have to be searching for gambling related content – it can just show up in your feed.
And it really does show up. Sponsored posts, influencer promotions, affiliate links and betting content built into sports coverage are now everywhere online. Gambling content has become part of the apps that students use every day.
The tricky part is that it doesn’t always look like advertising. A creator casually mentioning a betting app, or a “free bet” offer appearing next to football highlights, can feel more like entertainment than marketing.
Because of this, it’s easy to come across gambling promotions without even realising that’s what they are. This blurred line between content and advertising makes gambling feel more normal and less intrusive. It also makes it harder for regulations to keep up with how quickly online content is evolving
All this constant exposure can have a subtle but powerful effect in the form of desensitisation. When students see gambling content repeatedly, it stops feeling like something to question. Instead, it just becomes part of the usual ‘doom scroll’.
Through my volunteering at Ygam as a student ambassador, this is something that often is discussed in conversations. Gambling doesn’t feel like a big deal to many students anymore because it’s so present online.
That’s what makes it challenging because this normalisation happens slowly and often goes unnoticed. Over time, the constant exposure can reduce how risky gambling feels and makes it seem like a normal part of everyday online life.
The Online Safety Act 2023 is a big step in how the UK is trying to make the internet safer, placing more responsibility on tech companies to protect users. Enforced by Ofcom, it includes stricter age verification rules and serious penalties for companies that don’t comply.
That said, when it comes to gambling content, there are still some clear gaps. The Act mainly focuses on illegal or obviously harmful content, but a lot of gambling promotion online is much more subtle especially when it’s built into lifestyle or sports content. It’s not illegal, it doesn’t get removed, and it keeps appearing.
There’s also ongoing debate about whether the Act goes far enough. Some people think protections for young users should be stronger, while others worry about privacy issues around age checks. Like a lot of online regulation, it’s trying to keep up with a fast-moving digital world (and that’s not easy).
Social media’s influence on student gambling is clearly growing. But at the same time, awareness is growing too. These conversations are happening more in universities, policy discussions, and through the work of organisations like Ygam.
Social media doesn’t have to stay part of the problem. With better education, stronger regulation, and more accountability from platforms, it has the potential to become part of the solution.
(4 minute read) In this blog, Maya - one of our Volunteer Student Ambassadors - takes a closer look at the intersection between the current cost of living crisis, mental health, and student gambling behaviour.
(5 minute read) To mark National Student Money Week 2026, one of our Student Ambassadors, Maya, talks about her experiences growing up around gambling, the impact it had on her university life, and shares advice for those who share a similar story.
(5 minute read) This blog expands on this year's Children's Mental Health Week theme and explores young people's sense of belonging in the digital world. It navigates the positives, the risks, and what adults can do to ensure that their young people lead safer and more informed digital lives.