Exploring the link between gambling marketing and unplanned gambling spend in Britain

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Author(s): Wardle, Heather ; Critchlow, Nathan ; Brown, Ashley ; Donnachie, Craig ; Kolesnikov, Alexey ; Hunt, Kate

Journal: Addictive Behaviors

Year Published: 2022

Date Added: October 29, 2022

Gambling marketing is linked to increased intentions to gamble, gambling behaviours, and gambling spend. The researchers examined the link between unplanned gambling spend and gambling marketing among people who gambled in Britain. The researchers used data from two British online surveys. The first survey involved emerging adults aged 16–24 years old. The second survey involved adults who regularly bet on sports. In both samples, almost a third of participants said that marketing caused them to have unplanned gambling spend. Among people who experienced problem gambling, almost 9 in 10 said that marketing prompted unplanned gambling spend. Thus, the severity of problem gambling was linked to unplanned gambling spend. Receiving at least one form of direct marketing in the past month and following a gambling brand on social media were also linked to unplanned gambling spend. Being aware of marketing in the last month was not linked with unplanned gambling spend.

Citation: Wardle, H., Critchlow, N., Brown, A., Donnachie, C., Kolesnikov, A., & Hunt, K. (2022). The association between gambling marketing and unplanned gambling spend: Synthesised findings from two online cross-sectional surveys. Addictive Behaviors, 135, 107440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107440

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107440

Keywords: advertising ; emerging adults ; gambling ; marketing ; sports betting

Topics: Gambling Exposure ; Information for Operators ; Sports Betting

Conceptual Framework Factors: Gambling Types ; Exposure - Marketing and Messaging ; Gambling Exposure

Study Design: Secondary Data Analysis

Geographic Coverage: United Kingdom, Great Britain

Study Population: This study used two samples. The first sample was of emerging adults who gambled and were between 16–24 years old (n = 1496). The second sample was of adults 18 years or older who regularly bet on sports (n = 2980).

Sampling Procedure: The researchers used data from two British non-probability online surveys. For both surveys, the cohorts were recruited by YouGov from their non-probabilistic online panel of over a million people who lived in Britain. YouGov contacted potential participants by email. For both surveys, care was taken to match the samples to the population profile of Great Britain in terms of age, sex, and region.

Study Funding:

The Emerging Adult’s Gambling Survey was funded by Wellcome Trust. The Betting and Gambling COVID-19 Impact Study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.