‘It’s basically everywhere’: young adults’ perceptions of gambling advertising in the UK

Abstract

Summary In comparison to jurisdictions, such as Australia, limited research has focused upon the perceptions and reported effects of gambling advertising within the unique gambling environment of the UK. An online qualitative survey was conducted with 62 young adult gamblers in the UK. The survey investigated the place, meaning and influence of gambling advertising within the lives of the participants. Demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, with qualitative data interpreted using inductive thematic analysis techniques. Three themes were identified. Firstly, young adults were highly cognizant of UK gambling advertising strategies. Second, young adults were able to describe the influence of gambling advertising including its normalizing effect and proliferation of misleading messages. Finally, young adults perceived that current harm minimization strategies, including responsible gambling messages, were ineffective. Many were supportive of increased regulation of gambling advertising. The findings indicate that young adults are aware of the potential risks associated with gambling advertising and are supportive of regulatory reform. It is important that the views and perspectives of young adults are fully considered by regulators and policy makers in the UK, particularly as they are a potential target demographic for the industry.

Online casinos: advertising and avoidance among Generation Y consumers in Sweden

“…Wins are promoted in casino advertising as part of the positive framing of the advertising message (Abarbanel et al 2017;Korn et al 2005;Kroon 2021;Torrance, et al 2021a), yet a lack of realism was viewed as deceptive and distasteful, impacting the response to the advertising and the brand (Berndt et al 2019;Labrador et al 2021;Xie et al 2015). Similarly, the promise of rapid payment (cash outs) contributed to negative responses to the advertisement, resulting in disbelief and distrust in the brand, as identified in previous research (Torrance et al 2021b). The emphasis on female gamblers as characters in the advertisements was perceived by both genders as encouraging females to gamble, specifically through unrealistic, stereotypical situational portrayals.…”

“…Although advertising frequency contributes to recall (Binde 2014), participants observed an increased frequency of gambling advertising (Torrance et al 2021b) and disliked casino advertising due to its frequency (Derevensky et al (2010), contributing to the avoidance of the brands (Chih-Chung et al 2012;Dens et al 2008;Knittel et al 2016). While the advertising met the regulatory requirements, participants identified aspects that they viewed as unethical within the advertisements, where normalisation and a false reality (i.e., not a real scenario) are presented (Monaghan et al 2008;Torrance et al 2021b), which impact how they evaluate the brand (Xie et al 2015).…”

“…Casino advertising tends to show the positive aspects associated with winning (Abarbanel et al 2017;Derevensky et al 2010;Labrador et al 2021) and fun (Sklar and Derevensky 2011), with many adverts showing the ease of access, reflecting a glamourous lifestyle and attractive people (Hing et al 2015(Hing et al , 2017. These messages suggest that it is easy to achieve success, happiness, and wealth through gambling (Binde 2014;Torrance et al 2021b), but do not report the low possibility of winning nor the risks associated with gambling (Gavriel Fried et al 2010).…”

Expenditure on Paid-for Gambling Advertising During the National COVID-19 ‘Lockdowns’: An Observational Study of Media Monitoring Data from the United Kingdom

“…There is a growing body of literature documenting the extent and nature of gambling marketing in the UK (e.g., Ginnis & Kitson, 2019 ; Kilick & Griffiths 2022 ; Sharman et al, 2022 ; Torrance et al, 2021 ) and reach among consumers (e.g., Djohari et al, 2019 ; Ginnis & Kitson, 2020 ; Torrance et al, 2020 ). These observations, however, may not generalise to during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly national lockdowns, when mitigation measures reduced opportunities for engagement with some advertising and gambling activities.…”

Adolescent gambling advertising awareness: A national survey

“…Moreover, the potential impact of these advertisements on young people is recognised as an important public health issue in a number of jurisdictions (Djohari et al, 2019; Messerlian, 2005; Pitt et al, 2017). Therefore, and as there is lack of data regarding young people in the international literature (Torrance et al, 2020), it is timely and relevant to examine how young people perceive and are influenced by gambling advertisements. However, examining the potential influence of advertising on actual behaviour is methodologically challenging, as it is difficult to verify that a behavioural change resulted from exposure to or awareness of advertisements (Binde & Romild, 2019; Planzer & Wardle, 2012).…”