Abstract
BackgroundThe impact of gambling advertisements shown during sporting events on young people is an important public health issue. While extensive research has taken place in Australia, there is still only a limited understanding of this issue in the United Kingdom (UK).MethodA mixed methods study was conducted with 71 family groups comprised of 99 young people (8–16 years) and 71 adults recruited at six sites across South London, England (May–July 2018). Interviewer-assisted surveys investigated recall and awareness of sports betting brands using interviews and a magnet placement board activity developed in Australia. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, with qualitative data interpreted using thematic analysis techniques.ResultsJust under half of young people (n = 46, 46%) and more than two thirds of adults (n = 49, 71%) were able, unprompted, to name at least one gambling brand. Boys had a significantly higher recall of brands than girls, as did young people who watched a lot of football on television. Almost two thirds of young people (n = 63, 63%) correctly placed one or more shirt sponsor magnets next to the corresponding football team, and 30% (n = 30) correctly placed three or more sponsors magnets next to the corresponding football team. Just under two thirds of adults (n = 44, 62%) correctly placed one or more shirt sponsors magnets next to the corresponding football team. Young people recalled seeing gambling advertising on television (n = 78), technology/screens (n = 49), and in association with sports teams (n = 43). Adults recalled seeing advertising on television (n = 56), on technology/screens (n = 37), in sports stadiums (n = 34), and in betting venues (n = 34). Over three quarters of young people (n = 74 out of 95 responses, 78%) and 86% of adults (n = 59 out of 69 responses) thought that betting had become a normal part of sport.ConclusionIn order to reduce the exposure of young people to gambling advertising, policymakers in the UK should consider comprehensive approaches, similar to those applied in tobacco control, which cover all forms of advertising, including promotion and sponsorship.
Highlights
The impact of gambling advertisements shown during sporting events on young people is an important public health issue
Approach Adapting the methods created in Australia [3, 17, 23], this study used a mixed methods approach to explore young people’s and adult’s recall of sports betting brands, their implicit recall of sponsorship relationships between gambling brands and teams playing in the English Premier League (EPL), where young people and adults see gambling advertising, the extent to which young people and adults perceive gambling as a normal part of sport, and what changes, if any, young people and adults want to see to the current regulation of gambling advertising
While a ban on advertising during live sport has been widely suggested and supported in the United Kingdom (UK) [25], including by some bookmakers, our data suggests that this single measure may not be sufficient to significantly reduce young people’s exposure to gambling advertising, which they reported seeing in a range of media, sporting, and land-based environments
Summary
The impact of gambling advertisements shown during sporting events on young people is an important public health issue. Gambling advertising in the UK The impact of gambling advertisements shown during sporting events is increasingly recognised by the international research community as an important public health issue for young people [1,2,3]. Much of the research investigating the impact of gambling advertising on young. Gambling advertising in the UK has increased rapidly since the Gambling Act 2005 came into force in 2007. The number of ‘spots’ advertising gambling on television increased from 152,000 in 2006 to 1.39 million in 2012 [4]. The amount gambling companies spend on advertising has increased. In 2015, gambling companies spent £118.5m on television advertising, an increase of 46% since 2012 [5].
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