Nicosia: Ninety-three per cent of young people in Cyprus are exposed to gambling-related content on social media, according to a survey presented by the National Betting Authority (NBA) on the relationship between social media and gambling. The findings showed that, over the past 12 months, respondents were exposed to such content an average of 4.45 times per month. Only 7% said they had not encountered gambling-related content. Instagram is the most popular platform, with 95% of participants having an account, while 93% of those who had seen gambling-related content said they encountered it on the platform. Facebook and TikTok follow, with usage rates of 82% and 68%, respectively.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the survey, conducted by IMR/UNIC on behalf of the NBA in February and March 2026, was based on a nationwide sample of 1,000 people aged between 18 and 35. As regards the type of content encountered, 89% of young people said they see paid advertisements from betting companies or online casinos, while 77% are exposed to posts by influencers promoting gambling. However, it was noted that such exposure is driven primarily by content-recommendation algorithms rather than active user engagement, as the majority of respondents do not follow betting company accounts or register on gambling websites after viewing such content.
At the same time, 41% of respondents said they are exposed to promotions, bonuses, and free bets, while 36% see posts by friends publicising gambling winnings. This, it was said, highlights the multidimensional nature of the digital ecosystem surrounding gambling. The survey found that 63% of participants had gambled or taken part in gambling activities during the past 12 months. Of these, 78% said they gamble to win money and 65% cited entertainment as a reason. Asked whether social media had prompted them to gamble or participate in gambling activities, 44% replied 'yes, rarely', 37% said 'no, never' and 19% answered 'yes, sometimes'.
Regarding gambling spending, young people who gamble spend an average of £34.2 per month. The overwhelming majority of players, 65%, spend between £10 and £50 a month, while 18% spend between £50.01 and £100. Only 15% spend less than £10, while a small proportion of 2% spend more than £100 per month.
Differences were also recorded by gender, with men spending more on gambling than women. Average monthly expenditure stood at £38.9 for men and £28 for women. In addition, those who primarily use TikTok appear to spend the highest amounts on gambling, averaging £36.2 per month, followed by Instagram users at £33.9 and Facebook users at £30.1.
In terms of time spent gambling, the survey indicates that gambling has a regular presence in the daily lives of young people, constituting a systematic rather than occasional activity. Players spend an average of 118.8 minutes per week gambling. Seventy-three per cent of respondents devote between one and three hours a week to gambling, while 11% spend between three and five hours. Fifteen per cent spend less than one hour a week gambling, while only 2% exceed five hours per week.
Men also recorded higher figures in this area, spending an average of 131.5 minutes per week gambling, compared with 101.9 minutes for women. Finally, young people who primarily use Instagram spend the most time gambling, at an average of 122.8 minutes per week, followed by TikTok and Facebook users at 113.7 and 109.4 minutes, respectively.
Commenting on the results, National Betting Authority President Panagiotis Trisokkas stressed that prevention and the protection of citizens cannot be based on assumptions but must be grounded in reliable scientific evidence. In his intervention, the President of the Cyprus National Addictions Authority Dr Christos Minas focused on the amount of time young people spend online, saying they are far exceeding the limit 'and we are now moving into pathological, problematic internet use more broadly'.