A narrative review of qualitative studies exploring the normalization of gambling for youth and younger adults (2026)

Gambling is a highly visible and socially embedded activity among young people, with marketing, social practices, and digital platforms shaping perceptions and behaviours. This article presents a narrative review of qualitative studies (2015-25) exploring how gambling is normalized among youth and younger adults (up to 35 years), and how they perceive and respond to these processes. Four themes were constructed from n = 22 articles using a reflexive approach to thematic analysis. First, gambling was socially constructed as a normative activity through early family exposure and peer group practices, where participation could both encourage and discourage engagement. Second, exposure to gambling advertising, particularly through sport, was a pervasive driver of normalization, framing gambling as entertaining, glamorous, and overwhelmingly positive. Third, digital access via smartphones, apps, and online platforms further embedded gambling into daily life, enabling engagement in previously restricted spaces and facilitating peer-to-peer participation. Finally, youth and younger adults articulated strategies to counter the normalization of gambling, emphasizing structural and regulatory approaches, including stricter controls on advertising, counter-marketing campaigns, education, and youth participation in policy development. Policy action is needed to tackle the influence of a range of determinants of gambling normalization, with a particular focus on how commercial drivers and political responses impact youth and younger adults in specific sociocultural settings and contexts. [Author's abstract]