UK gambling ads on the rise: Study finds increase on Premier League opening weekend
Date: 2024-10-01 Author: Kirill Zagoruyko Categories: SPORTS BETTING
A report from the University of Bristol found that almost 30,000 gambling adverts were seen on TV, radio and social media during the opening weekend of the Premier League. That’s almost three times the number seen in the same period last year.
The study was conducted between 16 and 19 August and involved a team of ten academics who received funding from GambleAware. The study analysed around 24 hours of match coverage, 15 hours of Sky Sports news, 15 hours of TalkSport radio, and gambling adverts on Instagram, Facebook and X. A total of 29,145 adverts were identified, up from 10,999 last year. Stadium banners and shirt logos were also included.
The biggest increase in adverts was on TV, where the number increased by 240% compared to last year, reaching 23,690 across six broadcasts. West Ham United’s match against Aston Villa saw a record 6,491 adverts, up from 3,500 previously.
The report also questioned the effectiveness of the Betting and Gaming Board’s ‘game-to-game ban on gambling advertising’. The ban resulted in around 10,000 gambling messages being recorded during play.
Content advertising concerns
Particular concerns were raised about gambling advertising on social media and its potential impact on underage players. The study found that gambling adverts on social media, including content marketing, were viewed more than 24 million times. Researchers warn that content marketing can be dangerous to young people as it is not always clearly labelled as advertising. As a result, they reported 100 such adverts to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for breaching rules as they were not clearly identified as advertising.
The Premier League has agreed to a voluntary ban on gambling sponsorship on the front of shirts from 2027, but other advertising placements will remain unchanged. Dr Raffaello Rossi, one of the study’s authors, said stronger action was needed as the study found gambling advertising was “out of control”.
She said: "These new figures show just how much of an industry is in disarray, with gambling advertising dominating Premier League broadcasts. Just a few months ago, a new code of conduct was published to restrict marketing during sporting events, but the policy has had no impact on the volume of advertising.
"It is clear that the industry's attempts to self-regulate are woefully inadequate and tokenistic. Despite years of putting in place effective consumer protection measures, the gambling industry continues to put profits before safety."
Politicians respond
The findings prompted a response from Lord Foster of Bath, chairman of the Peers' Group for Gambling Reform and a vocal critic of gambling advertising. He said: "These statistics expose the industry's disgraceful failures in self-regulation. Despite a supposed ban on advertising from start to finish, we are still seeing matches filled with advertising, sponsorship and marketing messages." Lord Bath also raised concerns about the use of memes in gambling adverts on social media, prompting an ASA investigation.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former deputy chair of the Problem Gambling Group of MPs, also weighed in. He said: “This appalling data shows that, as I have warned before, the industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself. Regulators have sadly failed to do so, leaving us exposed to adverts that most of us do not want to see.”
Meanwhile, the ASA banned adverts from five social casino brands for creating the impression that players could win and withdraw real money. The adverts were all on TikTok and were misleading because they did not clarify that they were social casinos, which could have led customers to believe that real money could be won. The brands banned include SpinX Games, Dataverse Co, Huuuge Global Limited, Mobee Co and Zeroo Gravity Games LLC.
The study was conducted between 16 and 19 August and involved a team of ten academics who received funding from GambleAware. The study analysed around 24 hours of match coverage, 15 hours of Sky Sports news, 15 hours of TalkSport radio, and gambling adverts on Instagram, Facebook and X. A total of 29,145 adverts were identified, up from 10,999 last year. Stadium banners and shirt logos were also included.
The biggest increase in adverts was on TV, where the number increased by 240% compared to last year, reaching 23,690 across six broadcasts. West Ham United’s match against Aston Villa saw a record 6,491 adverts, up from 3,500 previously.
The report also questioned the effectiveness of the Betting and Gaming Board’s ‘game-to-game ban on gambling advertising’. The ban resulted in around 10,000 gambling messages being recorded during play.
Content advertising concerns
Particular concerns were raised about gambling advertising on social media and its potential impact on underage players. The study found that gambling adverts on social media, including content marketing, were viewed more than 24 million times. Researchers warn that content marketing can be dangerous to young people as it is not always clearly labelled as advertising. As a result, they reported 100 such adverts to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for breaching rules as they were not clearly identified as advertising.
The Premier League has agreed to a voluntary ban on gambling sponsorship on the front of shirts from 2027, but other advertising placements will remain unchanged. Dr Raffaello Rossi, one of the study’s authors, said stronger action was needed as the study found gambling advertising was “out of control”.
She said: "These new figures show just how much of an industry is in disarray, with gambling advertising dominating Premier League broadcasts. Just a few months ago, a new code of conduct was published to restrict marketing during sporting events, but the policy has had no impact on the volume of advertising.
"It is clear that the industry's attempts to self-regulate are woefully inadequate and tokenistic. Despite years of putting in place effective consumer protection measures, the gambling industry continues to put profits before safety."
Politicians respond
The findings prompted a response from Lord Foster of Bath, chairman of the Peers' Group for Gambling Reform and a vocal critic of gambling advertising. He said: "These statistics expose the industry's disgraceful failures in self-regulation. Despite a supposed ban on advertising from start to finish, we are still seeing matches filled with advertising, sponsorship and marketing messages." Lord Bath also raised concerns about the use of memes in gambling adverts on social media, prompting an ASA investigation.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former deputy chair of the Problem Gambling Group of MPs, also weighed in. He said: “This appalling data shows that, as I have warned before, the industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself. Regulators have sadly failed to do so, leaving us exposed to adverts that most of us do not want to see.”
Meanwhile, the ASA banned adverts from five social casino brands for creating the impression that players could win and withdraw real money. The adverts were all on TikTok and were misleading because they did not clarify that they were social casinos, which could have led customers to believe that real money could be won. The brands banned include SpinX Games, Dataverse Co, Huuuge Global Limited, Mobee Co and Zeroo Gravity Games LLC.
