Much more has to be done in order to manage the exposure of gambling advertisements to vulnerable adults, children, and young people, as suggested by the interim report which had been published by GambleAware.
The report had been presented by two consortia that were led by Ipsos MORI and also the Institute of Social Marketing in the University of Sterling, which looked into the effect that various frequencies of casino games and gambling advertisements have on the various kinds of social groups.
They have found that when it comes to terms of spending, bookmakers and lotteries are the highest spenders in regards to gambling advertisements. Sports advertisements focus on digital medium with an increased exposure through sponsorship that is used with live event broadcast.
Social Media Appealing to Younger Population
The CEO of GambleAware, Marc Etches has stated that it is an interim report and it is too early to comment on the effect of the exposure to gambling marketing and advertisements on young people, children, and vulnerable adults. However, the study makes an important recommendation which includes the requirement of a regular and clearer message on gambling advertisements of risk that is related to gambling. It also recommends strengthening the process of verification for an individual's age when they log into social media platforms.
About 59% of the jackpot and eSports betting content that is found through Twitter has been considered to be quite appealing to young people and children. This is mainly attributed to animated graphics that are used in contrast to 11% of gambling advertisements which is to be found in mainstream media.
The research into gambling advertising and marketing shows that operators might be doing more to make sure that the promotional materials they make available is socially available and doesn't appeal to minors. The emergence of new kinds of games like e-sports has posed challenges on how gambling exposure can be managed.
As mentioned above, there are no strict technological measures to screen children from receiving any kind of gambling advertisements. Operators could be using the previous technology for managing the underage exposure of children.
Research to Address the Issue
The research is a significant step for addressing the gaps in the issue and offers a clear picture of tone, volume, and the content of gambling advertisement, the extent to young people and children are vulnerable, and the technological measures that need to be taken.
The report clearly shows the areas that require improvement and thus, online gambling companies are expected to double their effort to address this concern. The study shows the various touchpoints through which young people, children, and vulnerable adults are coming in contact with gambling advertisements and marketing. The impact of exposure is going to be explored completely. The various features and themes available on social media sites are believed to be appealing to the younger section of society and generating interest in gambling. Thus, a more nuanced discussion is required to find out the best way to mitigate exposure risk and also the susceptibility to gambling adverts.
