No-hope bets ‘fuelling addictions’

BOOKMAKERS are sending gamblers into debt by advertising only their most addictive products, academics have claimed.

Gambling companies lure football fans into losing big by pushing no-hope bets with enticing odds on adverts, they said.

Research by the Universities of Warwick and Bath said customers are drawn in by the high odds, unaware that these bets will result in huge losses in the long run.

The authors cited odds offered mid-match by actor Ray Winstone in the Bet365 adverts as an example.

During Thursday’s match between Manchester City and Liverpool a half-time advert featuring the actor offered live odds of 14/1 on Liverpool winning 2-1.

Simpler bets with lower odds, for example the home team to win or a draw, have a better long-term return and are less addictive but tend not to feature in adverts.

Co-author Dr Philip Newall, from the University of Warwick, has proposed a ‘risks warning’ system, similar to the alcohol-by-volume percentage on drinks bottles.

He said: ‘The absence of any labelling of different product risks is compounded by gambling companies picking high-risk bets to dominate advertising campaigns.’

The study, published online, found that with high-risk bets an ‘unskilled’ gambler, who had not studied previous matches, could lose up to 50 times more than a skilled gambler betting on low-risk bets.

A spokesman for campaign group Fairer Gambling said: ‘The different levels of losses and harm associated with each product shows some are more addictive than others. Consumers should be made aware of these risks before they engage in them.’