Played: How Sports Betting Is Targeting Our Young Men

Scoop

25-06-2025

Press Release – Problem Gambling Foundation
By shining a light on these strategies, the campaign empowers young men to recognise the psychological tricks at playso they can make more informed choices and avoid getting caught in a cycle of harm.
A new campaign is exposing the psychological tactics sports betting companies use to target young men—from app notifications and bonus bets to peer pressure and in-game micro bets.
Today, PGF Services (the Problem Gambling Foundation) launches Are You Being Played? a campaign that highlights how gambling is becoming increasingly embedded in sport, with young men targeted and exposed to betting promotions more than ever before.
Andree Froude, Director of Advocacy and Public Health at PGF Services, says they worked with creative agency 4:AM to develop a campaign designed to raise awareness of the risks of sports betting and spark conversations about the tactics used to hook bettors.
'We're really concerned about the number of young men getting into sports betting—and the stories we're hearing are alarming,' she says.
'Students talking about bets at school, teens in uniform on the bus discussing which football team they're going to bet on, and more young people reaching out for help. Through this campaign, we want to spark curiosity about the tactics sports betting companies use to keep people betting—and hopefully prevent harm before it starts.'
The campaign unpacks ten key tactics—backed by research—that betting companies use to engage young men and keep them betting. These include sign-up bonuses, deposit matches and 'free' bets, which can create a false sense of reward and low risk. Other tactics include constant push notifications, in-game betting options, and celebrity or athlete endorsements designed to build trust and social appeal.
By shining a light on these strategies, the campaign empowers young men to recognise the psychological tricks at play—so they can make more informed choices and avoid getting caught in a cycle of harm.
Andree Froude says the national campaign will roll out on billboards, bus backs, selected radio stations, social media, and digital banners.
'You might spot Chuck and Betty—two fictional characters created for this campaign—online or on billboards around the country. We hope they'll get people talking,' she says.
Visit beingplayed.info for everything from hard facts to real talk—including videos of bros having a yarn about the pressures and pitfalls of sports betting.
It's time to start the conversation—and ask: Are you being played?