Gambling ads appear to be reaching their target audience and having the desired effect. A survey by the Gambling Commission involving 6,258 people found that there is indeed a connection between gambling advertisements and player behaviour. Out of the 4,566 interviewed individuals who gambled during the last 12 months, 34% said that ads pushed them to gamble during that period.
The main culprits are free bets or bonus funds. 22% of respondents said they were lured by promotional offers. Social media and TV ads are responsible for prompting at least 15% of the survey participants to gamble, while newspaper ads, sports sponsorships, and direct marketing did the same to 7%, 8%, and 9% of the players respectively.
The Gambling Commission was also interested in finding out the impact of gambling advertisements on changes in players’ habits.
52.8% of players haven’t gambled more and were not impacted by traditional print or TV ads.
However, 13% of surveyed players said they started gambling for the first time after seeing these ads. Another 16.3% gambled more after watching these commercials.
Meanwhile, 14.7% cut short their break from gambling after seeing the ads, and another 10.1% tried a new form of gambling.
Free bets and bonuses are the leading customer acquisition methods, with 25.9% of players starting gambling for the first time because of these offers.
18.6% of players were drawn back to gambling due to free bets. However, out of all analyzed advertising methods, free bets had the smallest impact on the amount that respondents gambled, with just 35.2% saying it affected their wagering choices.
Direct email, text, or phone notification marketing was the most effective way to attract past and existing customers. Among the surveyed players, 21.8% increased the amount they gambled, while 19.6% were prompted to restart their gambling activities.
11% of players who follow gambling operators on social media do so through Facebook.
Even though most surveyed individuals use social media (68%), they said they don’t follow gambling operators. However, the collected data shows that young people are most likely to see gambling ads online, with 77% of 18 to 24-year olds exposed to them. That’s compared to 55% of those 65 and older.
According to the Gambling Commission, this research just confirms the facts they are already familiar with. Gambling ads influence the behaviour of existing gamblers while causing some to relapse and even attracting new players.
That’s why it’s crucial to maintain control over your gambling and keep your finances in check. To help you do that, some of the best betting UK websites include responsible gaming tools.
