A new study published in the UK has found that soccer gamblers placed substantially more bets on the last World Cup when watching matches with gambling advertising.
In the UK, World Cup matches in Qatar 2022 were shown on the BBC, which has no advertising, and ITV, which featured an average of four to six gambling ads per match. The study found that gamblers placed 22-33% more wagers when watching games on ITV.
The researchers at the University of Sheffield, who conducted the study, also highlighted that bettors wagered less on games shown in the evening and those with higher viewership. There was also more money wagered on England’s matches, with all participants recruited in the country.
Ellen McGrane, lead author of the paper, said the results show that gambling advertising is effective at increasing betting. She commented, “These television adverts may be acting as powerful triggers during live games, encouraging betting even among people who had no prior intention to gamble.”
Any Gambling Ad Can Drive Bets
While previous research has examined the effectiveness of different gambling companies’ advertising strategies, McGrane said the evidence shows that ads do not necessarily direct bettors to specific platforms.
Instead, she noted, “One of our key findings was that this advertising doesn’t simply shift people between betting platforms, it increases the overall amount of gambling taking place.”
The study recruited 392 active male gamblers in the UK who placed, on average, 10 bets per week of £78 ($106). The men were all aged between 18 and 45, and previous research has suggested that young males are the biggest gambling group.
Should Gambling Ads Be Banned?
The researchers concluded, “These results suggest that a policy which restricts television advertising of gambling around live football might be an effective component of a broader public health strategy to tackle gambling-related harm.”
McGrane added, “Tighter regulation of gambling advertising during live sport may be needed, particularly ahead of highly televised events such as the World Cup, to better protect those most at risk.”
A recent report, however, suggested that gambling ads are frequently seen on alternative broadcasts, such as illegal streams. The study also assumed that those betting were influenced by TV ads, rather than by commercials seen on social media or online.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), a trade body group representing the gambling industry, said the real danger is from online ads and illegal gambling companies that are not allowed to show commercials on TV. A spokesperson for the group stated, “The real danger comes from harmful illegal gambling sites, which flood the internet with ads, carry out no age checks, and offer no protections.”
The group also said that ad spending from gambling companies has declined recently, adding, “The evidence shows that advertising by licensed bookmakers is actually falling, reducing by 1.7% year-on-year since 2021. It now makes up just 2.7 per cent of total UK advertising, with 20% of advertising focused on safer gambling messaging.”
The BGC disputes claims that companies spent £2 billion ($2.62 billion) on advertising last year. It also said that companies will be forced to cut back on advertising as the UK increases taxes on gambling later this year.
As the World Cup draws nearer, gambling companies will aim to attract as many bettors as possible to their platforms. As the first tournament staged in the US since legal sports betting became readily available, it could be one of the biggest betting events in history.
While anti-gambling groups will argue that the results of this study show the need to restrict advertising, the gambling industry may use it as proof that ads are an effective way of increasing revenue.
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A new study published in the UK has found that soccer gamblers placed substantially more bets on the last World Cup when watching matches with gambling advertising. In the UK, World Cup matches in Qatar 2022 were shown on the BBC, which has no advertising, and ITV, which featured an average of four to six
The post World Cup Gambling Ads Effective at Encouraging Soccer Fans to Place Bets, Study Finds appeared first on CasinoBeats.