This research project explored receiving direct messages to wager (i.e., to bet), gambling-related harm, and the development and maintenance of problem gambling. The study also examined wagering affiliate marketing and the risk of problem gambling and gambling-related harm. The data consisted of literature and regulatory reviews, website and Twitter analysis, stakeholder interviews, ecological momentary assessment, and an experimental study. The report contains extensive detail about each type of data collected, along with a discussion of the findings overall.
Key findings include:
- People who are more involved in betting receive more direct marketing to wager.
- Direct marketing from wagering operators mostly promotes inducements.
- Regulatory concerns include sending direct marketing without a customer’s consent, lack of unsubscribe options that are functional, and messaging to customers experiencing gambling harm.
- Direct marketing to wager encourages more betting and harmful betting, particularly in people who are the most involved in betting.
- Direct messages with inducement promotions increase the risk of harm to people who bet.
- It is difficult to devise regulation as there is limited ability to monitor direct messages and wagering affiliate marketing.
- Affiliate marketing is one of the main marketing tools used by wagering operators.
- Wagering affiliates are heavily incentivised to recruit people to bet and to encourage them to accumulate betting losses.
