A study by Swansea University, the University of Bristol and CQ University in Australia, titled ‘The effect of a brief intervention video on gambling advertising resistance: Results of a randomised, on-line experimental study‘, is published in the journal Addiction.
It was funded by a research grant from the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling and the Ontario Gambling Research Exchange.
The findings highlight the potential of ‘counter-advertisements’ to reduce gambling-related harm and highlight the importance of consumer education in addressing the impact of gambling promotions.
The study involved 1,200 young gamblers and found that exposure to a specially designed ‘counter-advertisement’ video increased scepticism towards gambling advertising. It also reduced engagement with gambling industry promotions.
A team led by Dr Jamie Torrance from Swansea University aimed to combat the pervasiveness of gambling advertising by creating a counter-advertising video that mimicked the industry’s own tactics.
Using ‘flash messages’, visual examples and satire, the video exposed the strategies used by gambling companies. Rather than promoting the appeal of gambling, it aimed to expose the profit motives.
According to research, the UK gambling industry spends around £1.5bn on advertising each year.
Dr Torrance described the ubiquity of these adverts – from 30-second TV spots and jingles during commercial breaks to online pop-ups – as a relentless effort by the gambling industry to attract attention.
The study tested the effectiveness of the counter-advertising video using an online experiment. Participants who watched the video reported a significant increase in their scepticism towards gambling advertising.
This scepticism persisted even a month after the video was shown. In addition, the video led to a significant change in behaviour, with 21% of participants stopping taking up so-called ‘free’ betting offers altogether.
The findings suggest that counter-advertising can be a powerful tool to help consumers resist the lure of gambling advertising.
Dr Torrance highlighted the wider implications of the findings, noting that they come at a crucial time, with the UK government introducing a new gambling tax.
He also noted the need to address how deeply gambling has become embedded in everyday life, with its presence on football kits, TV broadcasts and other forms of popular culture.
The scale of gambling advertising in the UK is significant, with the research cited showing that the average viewer is exposed to 1,500 gambling adverts a year.
For football fans, the impact is even more intense, with gambling-related logos appearing every 10 seconds during Premier League broadcasts.
Despite the encouraging results of the study, Dr Torrance acknowledged that counter-advertising alone is not a panacea.
The gambling industry’s £1.5bn advertising machine remains a formidable force, but counter-advertising represents a significant step towards empowering consumers to resist its influence.
The research team hopes the work will translate insights from psychology and public health into effective consumer protection strategies.
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