Read the full report here: TGS 2024 – Gambling Advertising The Need for Action
Gambling marketing, including sponsorship and advertising, has become a significant concern in today’s digital world, where it plays a central role in making gambling riskier and more harmful. Gone are the days when gambling adverts were limited to a few spots on TV or in newspapers. Today, gambling marketing is everywhere—on our phones, computers, and social media feeds. It’s not just more widespread; it’s smarter, too, using data and algorithms to target people with personalised ads that respond to their online behaviour.
Despite the evidence that marketing increases the risks associated with gambling, the Conservative Government largely ignored these findings. They’ve argued that gambling ads don’t really cause harm, allowing the industry to continue regulating itself with minimal restrictions. Our aim with this project was to show that the evidence clearly supports the need for stronger regulation and to call on the new government to change how gambling is regulated.
What the Evidence Shows
At Tackling Gambling Stigma, we’ve compiled substantial evidence that demonstrates the harm caused by gambling marketing. Here’s a snapshot of what we found:
- Increased Gambling Activity: Exposure to gambling marketing leads to higher participation in gambling, both at the individual and population levels. This results in a greater risk of harm.
- Riskier Gambling Behaviours: Marketing doesn’t just increase gambling; it pushes people towards riskier behaviours, such as unplanned spending, trying to recoup losses, engaging in multiple kinds of gambling, and continuous gambling. As previous research shows, all of these factors are linked to harm.
- Higher risk for everyone: Marketing and inducements have an effect on everyone, even those who are categorised as ‘no-risk’ or ‘low risk’.
- Impact on those already suffering: Data-driven marketing practices often target individuals already being harmed by gambling even more aggressively, exacerbating their difficulties.
For a full breakdown, read the report here: TGS 2024 – Gambling Advertising The Need for Action
Conservative Government Inaction and Misleading Justifications
The Conservative government justified its inaction by misleadingly framing the evidence, often echoing the arguments of the gambling industry. They’ve argued that there is not enough evidence to prove that gambling ads alone, directly cause harm. However, this standard of proof is misapplied, almost impossible to meet in this context, and not the standard of evidence required in other areas of public health.
The Conservative Government used the argument that only a small number of “vulnerable people” are the problem to sidestep the need for broader, more effective regulations on what gambling companies are allowed to do.
The Role of Data and Technology in Gambling Marketing
Modern gambling marketing leverages advanced technology, using data, algorithms, and behavioural science. These tactics are not just about promoting a product—they’re about driving repetitive behaviour, shaping and building habits while increasing losses.
The current regulatory system, rooted in the offline world of the 1960s, is ill-equipped to deal with the complexities of today’s online gambling marketing. It doesn’t have the tools to effectively monitor or regulate how these technologies are used, leaving consumers vulnerable.
The Economic Impact and the Path Forward
The Conservative Government allowed gambling marketing to grow unchecked, justifying it as a contribution to economic growth. However, this growth has primarily benefited a small group of shareholders at the expense of the wider community. Gambling companies extract money from citizens, often operating from offshore locations to avoid paying UK taxes, while the societal costs of gambling-related harm continue to mount.
The regulation must change to promote a healthier market and take a genuine public health approach.
The Conservative Government promised to reform gambling laws to fit the digital age but has left us with a regulatory system stuck in the past. It relies on outdated ideas and allows gambling companies too much freedom. These companies are also given the power to decide how their marketing is regulated, leading to a situation where the industry’s interests come first, not public health.
We believe that gambling should be permitted but not promoted or encouraged through aggressive marketing tactics. People should be free to gamble if they choose, but without relentless pressure from companies to gamble more and on more dangerous products.
What’s Next?
The new government has a real opportunity to change how gambling is regulated in the UK. By acknowledging the role that marketing plays in making gambling harmful, they can develop a more effective and fair system. This includes keeping commercial interests out of the regulation process, controlling the amount and type of gambling marketing, and addressing how sponsorships and data-driven ads contribute to the problem.
This project was created by TGS in collaboration with the Coalition Against Gambling Ads. We’re committed to continuing our work to protect the public from the harms of excessive gambling marketing.
To learn more about our detailed recommendations and evidence, check out the full report TGS 2024 – Gambling Advertising The Need for Action
To find out more about the newly named ‘Coalition to End Gambling Ads’ visit their website at https://caga.uk/