From scroll to norm: How gambling norms are being shaped by social media sponsorships

Background and aims: Gambling sponsorship is increasingly visible on social media, yet it remains unclear how it contributes to the perceived normalization of gambling. This study explores whether sponsored gambling posts endorsed on social media affect young adults' perceived descriptive and injunctive gambling norms. Methods: A 2 (brand type: gambling vs. control) by 2 (source: social media influencer vs. brand) between-subjects experiment (N = 369, aged 18-20) was conducted. Results: Exposure to sponsored gambling posts increased the perception of how frequently a typical student gambles. Moreover, gambling sponsorships were perceived as more morally inappropriate, which was further associated with lower approval perceptions of specific gambling activities. No effects were found for other descriptive or injunctive norms. Discussion and Conclusions: Overall, this study contributes nuance to the concept of gambling normalization, indicating that exposure to gambling-related social media content may shape certain perceptions of prevalence without necessarily translating into greater social or moral acceptance.