Navigating an addictive and toxic landscape, by GCPH Public Health Programme Manager Chris Harkins, synthesises UK-relevant evidence from 2015–2026 and uncovers clear patterns linking gambling problems among young men to trauma, adverse mental health, substance misuse, and emerging forms of digital and influencer-driven risk.
Key points:
- Problem gambling does not occur in isolation. The review identifies associations between harmful gambling and trauma, poor mental health, substance misuse, suicidality and domestic violence.
- Young men are exposed early and often. Children and adolescents, especially boys, are routinely exposed to gambling marketing on social media and in sport, contributing to early normalisation of gambling behaviours.
- Features within video games are priming future gamblers. Evidence on “loot boxes” and “skin gambling” within video games designed for children, shows powerful, consistent associations with later problem gambling, with young male gamers at particular risk. Published research describes this as a “predatory practice” not in keeping with UK child safeguarding principles.
- Influencer and “flexing” cultures create new pressures. Although evidence is still emerging, masculinity influencers and aspirational social media lifestyles appear to reinforce risk-taking, competitiveness and unrealistic ideals of success – factors associated with gambling harms.
- New technologies are outpacing regulation. Cryptocurrency gambling platforms, promoted widely through social media and online communities, offer anonymity, high volatility and little consumer protection, creating a high-risk environment for young men.
- Significant evidence gaps remain. More UK research is urgently needed on the interaction between digital gambling ecosystems, masculinity cultures, poverty and disadvantage.
