This study examined how gambling was marketed on social media in the United Kingdom before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 353,134 original tweets from the five most-followed UK gambling operators and five affiliates from January 2020 to July 2022 were analyzed for frequency and sentiment. The researchers also used machine learning to analyze the main content. Overall, the frequency of tweets during the first lockdown decreased, particularly for affiliates. Affiliate posts expressed more positive emotions than operator posts. As the pandemic continued, tweets were more likely to include sports content relative to direct advertising or safer gambling messages. Affiliates adapted the content of their posts more quickly than operators.
