GambleAware revives Bet Regret ad campaign as fans return to stadiums

GambleAware has confirmed the return of its Bet Regret safer gambling campaign to coincide with the start of the new football season and fans flocking back to stadiums. The campaign will return to TV, radio and digital advertising, as well as campaign advertising being deployed in and around football grounds, in an attempt to target fans returning following the end of Covid-19 restrictions. Bet Regret ads featured throughout live coverage of the opening weekend of the English Premier League, including during Tottenham’s win over Manchester City. The campaign targets younger male sports bettors aged 18-34 and has run in consecutive seasons since February 2019. It aims to encourage bettors to take a moment and reflect before placing impulsive bets. Latest statistics released by the charity claim the campaign enjoys a 60% recognition rate among its target audience, rising to 75% among high-risk bettors in this group. Data provided by GambleAware suggests that 38% of target audience punters had tried to tap out before placing an impulsive bet, while 17% said they used ‘tapping out’ as a tool to reduce their gambling. This latest round of the campaign will conclude on 19 September. Addressing the return of the Bet Regret campaign, GambleAware CEO Zoë Osmond said the charity was doing “all it can” to encourage returning fans to pause and consider before making a bet. “With all public health campaigns, the biggest challenge is translating awareness and intentions into actions, which is why there is a continued need to promote behavioural nudges, such as ‘tap out’,” she explained. “So far, we have seen promising results from the campaign to date, with more people recognising and using ‘tapping out’ as a technique to moderate their betting,” Osmond added.