Gambling ‘Online ads have more appeal to children’
GAMBLING advertising on social media is significantly more appealing to children and young people than to adults, Bristol researchers suggest.
Disguised gambling marketing and adverts for betting on esports are especially alluring as they trigger positive emotions in under 25-year-olds, a University of Bristol study found.
A poll of more than 650 children, young people and adults across the UK suggests the vast majority of adults were wary or annoyed when faced with gambling adverts, but children mainly reacted positively.
The report calls for tighter regulations for gambling content marketing, as well as a ban on esports gambling advertising, to prevent youngsters from becoming addicted to gambling.
It adds that social media platforms should only allow gambling adverts on social media when users actively optin to receive them.
An online survey of 210 children aged 11 to 17 years, 222 young people aged 18 to 24, and 221 adults aged 25 to 78 years in the UK was carried out between May and July in 2020 as part of the study.
The survey suggests that nearly half (45%) of children and nearly three in four (72%) of young people saw gambling advertising on Twitter at least once a week - and a quarter of children (25%) and 37% of young people said they were exposed to gambling adverts on social media every day.
All 653 participants were exposed to 24 different Twitter gambling adverts during the study to investigate different emotional responses.
The vast majority of gambling adverts on Twitter (19 out of 24) were more appealing to children and young people than adults, the report found.
Nearly two in three (15 out of 24) gambling adverts prompted positive emotions such as happiness, calmness or delight in both children and young people, whereas less than a third (seven out of 24) triggered a positive emotional response among older adults, according to the findings.
Adults were found to be four times more likely to react negatively, feeling distress, anger, or tension when exposed to gambling adverts on Twitter.
Esports gambling adverts were also found to be much more appealing to children and young people than adults, the report suggests.
Co-lead investigator Dr Raffaello Rossi, a marketing lecturer at the University of Bristol, said: “The strong appeal of gambling advertising on social media to children is of huge concern, as it is known the earlier people start gambling the more likely it will become habitual and problematic.
“That’s why there needs to be much stricter and clearer rules in place to clamp down on the issue, which could easily spiral out of control. Many of the adverts may look entirely innocent and harmless, but they in fact pose a serious risk of getting a whole new generation of gamblers hooked.”
Kev Clelland, strategic alliance director at the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) charity, said: “The findings support the evidence we submitted to the Gambling Act Review where we called for more to be done to minimise the exposure that children have to gambling advertising.
“All gambling advertising should be designed and displayed in a way that is appropriate for adults and avoids marketing techniques that appeal to children. There is opportunity to strengthen advertising protections and both the advertisers and the platforms which host adverts should use technology and data to do more.”
The Government completed a review of the 2005 Gambling Act earlier this year. A white paper is due to be published in early 2022 next year.
A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “We are committed to protecting people at risk of gambling-related harm.”