People with active gambling accounts who receive regular ‘free bets’ and other direct marketing offers “place a lot more bets, spend far more, and suffer greater related harms than gamblers who have opted out of such offers”.
That is according to a study called “Direct gambling marketing, direct harm: a randomised experiment,” led by Central Queensland University in Queensland, Australia, in collaboration with the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.
The randomised controlled trial monitored and compared the gambling activity of 227 people in Australia, predominantly men with an average age of 45 who bet regularly on sports and races, over a two-week period, according to a press statement released on Thursday, outlining the findings.
It indicated that study participants who chose not to receive direct marketing, such as emails, push notifications and text messages, from their gambling account, placed nearly a quarter (i.e., 23 percent) fewer bets and spent 39 percent less money than those who were exposed to the marketing.
The findings, published in the academic journal Addiction, also indicated study participants that didn’t receive direct marketing material, “reported 67 percent fewer short-term gambling harms,” such as feelings of distress linked to their gambling, than those who were exposed to the messaging.
Dr Philip Newall, senior lecturer in psychology at Bristol University, and a co-author of the study, was quoted as asserting: “The research is important as it’s the first to show a causal link between exposure to gambling marketing and increased gambling harms in a real-world setting.”
He added: “Although the findings relate to direct marketing, I see no reason why the same or similar adverse effects wouldn’t occur for gambling advertising on television or social media.”
The study was funded by Gambling Research Australia, which is a partnership between that country’s federal government and the state and territory governments.
According to the release, it “highlights the pressing need for tighter restrictions and regulations to limit gambling marketing”.
Dr Newall was also quoted saying that a 2023 white paper on gambling by the U.K. government “argued that there was little need to regulate marketing” linked to the sector, “since there was no evidence of a causal link”.
He asserted: “This research changes that, and can help validate the experiences of many who are struggling with the harms of gambling addiction.”
The Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research, at the University of Bristol, is said to be a global centre for interdisciplinary research in the field, and “aims to raise awareness of gambling harms, strengthen consumer protection through policy change, and improve support and treatment,” per the release.
The study’s lead author was Professor Matthew Rockloff, head of the Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory at Central Queensland University.
He was cited as saying: “This study provides clear evidence that direct gambling marketing increases gambling-related harm. It strengthens the case for tighter regulation, and potentially a complete ban, to better protect consumers.”
