Gambling companies are “reaping considerable profits” and sports organisations, the media and the government are benefiting financially from the growth in gambling, according to a new report.

The cross-border study said sports bodies operating on the island of Ireland, and in receipt of State funding, should be required to eliminate their reliance on gambling marketing at all sporting venues.

The research team, comprising academics from Ulster University, Maynooth University and University College Dublin (UCD), conducted interviews with 70 young people, aged between 14 and 24, living on either side of the border.