Sex sells: How gambling courts young men
Gambling advertising increasingly uses sexualized imagery to target young men, from Sydney Sweeney's Novig campaign to sex-themed casinos.Summary
This article examines how the gambling industry uses sexualized imagery to target young men. It begins with Sydney Sweeney's controversial Novig campaign, which critics say overtly sexualizes women to lure young men into gambling. Research on Meta advertisements in Ireland shows gambling ads reach male accounts far more than female ones, and experts warn this drives gambling normalization and harm among young men. The article documents a history of sexualized imagery in gambling marketing and notes that young men consume both gambling and pornography at high rates. It then explores the intersection of the two, including gambling ads on porn sites and a sex-themed unlicensed casino called OnlySpins uncovered by Investigate Europe. While evidence of co-occurrence exists, the article concludes that research has not caught up with advertising, leaving unanswered questions about the effects of selling pornography and gambling together to young men.
(Source：Trinity News)