Understanding mediated sports consumption by Irish children: A qualitative study exploring their exposure and understanding of gambling marketing, risks and harms.

Background: Gambling marketing communications create a public health risk by increasing the normalisation of gambling in sports. In a context where broad level studies report significant underage gambling, currently no evidence exists on how these communications are received by children in the Republic of Ireland (hereafter Ireland) and Northern Ireland. To build this evidence base and provide granular detail below broad level data, this study explored the sport consumption habits and views of Irish children (aged 14-17 years) on their exposure, awareness and perceptions of the relationship between sport and gambling. Methods: Drawing on a constructivist approach to data collection, 6 face-to-face focus groups were staged with a total of 51 youth sport consumers from both sides of the border region on the island of Ireland.Results: Four main themes were established. First, mediated sport consumption was predominantly via mobile social media. Second, we found that their exposure to gambling marketing was high and while frequently seen through social media channels it was also prevalent in peer-to-peer conversations and on the main street. Third, we found mixed responses on their perceptions about gambling and sport. While many felt that sport and gambling were a good fit, they were aware of the financial risks involved. Few children understood the wider social risks with gambling harm. Fourth, children were sceptical of claims made in gambling communications. These findings highlight concerns about how exposure to gambling marketing is impacting children’s views on sport and on gambling. These views need to be taken into consideration when broadcasters and sport organizations are entering into commercial associations.Conclusions: Gambling marketing is noticed by children watching mass and social media, and in the towns in the border regions of the island of Ireland. Our study provides children’s viewpoints on this topic which complements the larger quantitative studies in Ireland and Northern Ireland that highlight the growing prevalence of children and gambling. This study not only extends the literature on the exposure, awareness and perceptions of children on the island of Ireland but provides crucial evidence to public health advocates in this region demonstrating the pervasiveness of gambling communications in and around children’s spaces.<br/

CODE RED: Young People and their Exposure to Gambling Marketing through Media and Sport on the island of Ireland

Academics from Maynooth University and Ulster University have spent two years examining the exposure of young people on the island of Ireland to gambling marketing content while consuming their favourite sports on television and social media. The project found that young people who lived on both sides of the border in Ireland were exposed to extremely high levels of gambling marketing when consuming some national and international sporting events. Young people are accessing this content on television but increasingly, and repeatedly over time, via social media on their mobile phones. The research also found that gambling marketing saturation varies considerably across sports, channels and platforms. Gambling marketing was most prevalent in certain sports but was available both on television and social media at all times of the day. It is clear that current gambling regulations and approaches in both jurisdictions are ineffective in limiting the exposure of young people to gambling marketing, and its frequency, when sports and media organisations are willing to carry them. Further, the health and community benefits of sport are seriously undermined if those sports are reliant on gambling marketing or gambling revenues. The report concludes with a number of policy recommendations. The research was funded by the Irish government’s North-South Research Programme

Introduction: Connecting with the Electorate? Parliamentary Communication in EU Affairs

ational parliaments have often been described as latecomers to European integration, but there is little doubt that they have developed the institutional means to become more involved over the last few years – and especially since the Lisbon Treaty. Accordingly, the main focus of the literature has been on this institutional adaptation and thus on the relationship between the parliament and the government in European Union (EU) affairs. Other parliamentary functions, and in particular those that relate to their citizens such as the communication function, by contrast, have been largely neglected. Yet democracy depends on a viable public debate on policy choices and political alternatives to allow citizens to make informed political (electoral) choices and to exercise democratic control. This collection therefore investigates whether, and how, individual members of parliament, political parties, or legislatures as institutions ‘link’ with their electorates in EU politics. This introduction discusses why engaging with the public in EU affairs is – or at least should be – an important aspect of parliamentary work, introduces parliamentary means of communication and assesses parliamentary incentives and disincentives ‘to go public’ in EU politics. (author's abstract