Behind the World Cup buzz: Safeguarding Scotland’s youth 

With the current World Cup, gambling presents an even higher risk. How can we prevent young people from getting tangled in this web?

Gambling is becoming harder to avoid. And nowhere is this more visible than the beating heart of sport; football. It is where many people learn what it means to be part of something bigger, part of a community – football is woven into our society. And we can no longer escape its ties to the gambling industry. 

Gambling has become part of football’s backdrop; but it doesn’t stop at football. In the UK, around £2 billion is spent on gambling advertising every year. That figure alone reflects how much the industry is willing to invest to keep people gambling. Young people are exposed to gambling advertising on television, online, in gaming environments, and across public spaces. It was never supposed to be aimed at young people yet has found a clear path into their world. 

A new report from the ALLIANCE’s Scotland Reducing Gambling Harm programme shows the impact of early exposure. What young people see shapes their attitude and normalises gambling as part of entertainment and sport, increasing their chance of experiencing gambling harm in adulthood. 

This is reinforced through a web of influences that are hard to untangle.  

With the FIFA World Cup taking place, we can see a surge in gambling advertising across sponsorships and digital platforms. On top of this, the nature of betting has also shifted. Football betting is no longer limited to the fixed odds coupon; it has become much more integrated within the game. People can now place rapid, real-time bets on who scores next, what players get booked, the next card, or which team dominates possession. Placing a bet has become increasingly accessible; the betting shop is literally in your back pocket. The industry designs dopamine hits, through near misses, losses disguised as wins, and repeatability meaning people remain on sites for longer and are encouraged to return through direct advertising. 

We need to be honest about what young people have and will be exposed to during the tournament. The excitement of the moment shouldn’t distract us from the risks. 

While gambling legislation sits with Westminster, Scotland is far from powerless. We can shape public debate, influence practice, and push for stronger protections, with some strong examples of wide-scale change being Scotland’s public health approach to smoking and unhealthy food marketing. We can choose to treat gambling harm with the seriousness it demands. Young people deserve environments that support their wellbeing, not ones that quietly normalise risk. Harm isn’t simply about individual choices; it’s shaped by the environments where people live, work, and spend time. And so, we need to change the conditions in which harm occurs, not just responding once it has taken hold. 

This is the moment to move from awareness to prevention. From accepting the status quo to demanding better. 

If we want a healthier and safer future for Scotland, we must protect the generation growing up now. Strengthening these protections can’t wait. 

If you want to share gambling harm reduction advice during this world cup, keep these top tips in mind:  

• Due to the time difference, some matches kick-off times are during the late evening and early morning hours. This quiet, solitary environment combined with immediate mobile device access significantly increases the likelihood of solitary betting on mobile applications. If possible, try to schedule gambling harm reduction posts at this time as it may be supportive to people who are online at this time.  

• When posting on social media, do not use gambling product or iconography as research from people with lived experience have advised that this can feel triggering or encourage gambling behaviour.  

• Use person centred, stigma free language when discussing gambling harm. Avoid sensationalising a story about someone’s gambling by removing the amount of money spent and focus on why something has happened with empowering language. 

Support services:  

RCA Trust offers free one to one counselling to support people experiencing gambling harm and those affected by someone else’s gambling. You can contact them on 0141 887 0880 or info@rcatrust.org.uk 

GamCare offer a free 24/7 phone line and messaging service which you can contact for support 08088020133 or via WhatsApp on +44 808 802 0133 

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