New report highlights the toxic landscape driving problem gambling among young men

A new GCPH evidence review warns that young men in the UK are navigating an increasingly “addictive and toxic landscape” in which gambling harms are amplified by digital technologies, social media cultures, and broader psychosocial pressures.

Navigating an addictive and toxic landscape, authored 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 takeaways from the report include:

• 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.

Reflecting on the findings, Chris Harkins said:

“Young men are growing up within digital, commercial and cultural environments that normalise risk and make gambling both accessible and appealing. This review shows that through gambling-like features within video games, aggressively targeted social media ads to influencer culture and high-speed 24/7 betting and casino apps, risk is normalised, encouraged and glamorised.”

“For young men in 2026, becoming addicted to gambling is not simply about poor choices. It is about pressure, identity, modern expressions of masculinity, aspiration and exposure in a digital ecosystem that profits from risk. If we want to prevent gambling harm, we must reshape the toxic and addictive environments that are shaping young men.”

“The impacts of problem gambling can be tragic. If we want fewer families dealing with debt, distress and loss, we must move beyond awareness campaigns alone. We need stronger protections, better regulation of digital environments and earlier prevention that reflects the realities of young men’s lives today.”

A call for culturally attuned prevention and support

The review underscores the need for holistic, trauma-informed approaches in public health and frontline services, as well as more responsive regulation that reflects the realities of 2026, not the gambling environment of a decade ago. Young men, it concludes, should be treated as a priority population in both research and policy.

The report also highlights the importance of proactive screening for gambling harms in health, mental health and community settings, particularly given that young men often do not self-identify as having a gambling problem and typically seek help only in crisis.

About the report

Navigating an addictive and toxic landscape is a rapid review undertaken by the GCPH to inform policy, research and practice relating to gambling harms in Scotland and the wider UK. It draws together insights from thematic areas including gaming, social media advertising, masculinity norms, trauma, mental health and emerging gambling technologies.