GambleAware report highlights “limited” consumer protection messaging on operator sites

Operator sites show “limited evidence” of consumer protection messages such as age warnings or promotion of lower-risk gambling, according to new GambleAware-commissioned research.

The study of gambling marketing, which was commissioned in March 2018, also found that some ads “may exploit the susceptibility, inexperience or lack of knowledge of children, young people or vulnerable adults”.

The study was carried out by two groups, led by Ipsos MORI and the Institute for Social Marketing at the University of Stirling. It comprised ten different focus areas, including media monitoring, analysis of paid-for online ads using avatars, social media analysis, focus groups and in-depth interviews with children, young people and vulnerable adults.

The objectives of the research were to explore whether and how gambling marketing and advertising influences children and young people’s attitudes towards gambling.

As part of the project, researchers used ‘audience simulation’ to create 11 online avatars, each with a specific personality developed through normal browsing activity, mimicking the behaviours of a real online user.

Researchers tracked online gambling ads belonging to a number of big operators

Over a fifth (22%) of mainstream media adverts included in the study were judged to contain features such as limited implied risk or inflated chances of winning; this rose to 37% on Twitter.

The project found content which may appeal to children and young people was found in 11% of gambling adverts in so-called mainstream media. This percentage rose to 59% of advertisements of esports gambling content on Twitter. It also found children were not being effectively “screened out” from receiving gambling adverts online.

Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, highlighted the interim status of the report saying it was “too early to judge” the impact of exposure to gambling ads on children, young people and vulnerable adults.

“Nevertheless, the research does make important recommendations, including the need for clearer and more regular messages on gambling adverts of the risks associated with gambling, and the need to strengthen age verification processes on social media platforms,” Etches added.

Ian Angus from the Gambling Commission said the regulator was pleased to see the report identify “clear areas for action” that operators can take.

“We therefore expect them to redouble their efforts to address public concerns about the volume and nature of gambling advertising and sport sponsorship,” Angus added.

The second phase of this research, which focuses the impact of gambling marketing and advertising, will be published later in 2019.