Safer gambling ads do more harm than good, study claims
GambleAware is calling for the UK government to create safer gambling video guidelines.
UK.- The responsible gambling grant-making body GambleAware has today published research that suggests that safer gambling messages used by operators may actually encourage people to gamble more.
Conducted by Thinks Insight & Strategy, alongside academic expert Professor Elliot Ludvig, the research tested the effectiveness of safer gambling video campaigns currently in use by major gambling operators. Participants were shown the videos in a simulated online environment in which their subsequent inclination to gamble was captured.
The research found that rather than encouraging moderation and promoting safer gambling behaviours, such as limiting time and money spent on gambling, some adverts actually encouraged viewers to gamble more. This was due to the videos reinforcing the idea that gambling is safe and ‘harmless fun’, creating a false sense of security, and subtly downplaying the risks from gambling, the charity said.
It found that 45 per cent of those seeing one operator advert felt the video suggested gambling is harmless fun.
GambleAware noted that safer gambling videos are becoming increasingly common and argued that they should be able to achieve meaningful effects across large audiences. “If done correctly, they are low-cost and can reach a large amount of people to shape societal perceptions towards gambling, raise awareness of gambling harms and signpost people to further support – ultimately helping to prevent and reduce gambling harms,” it said.
British gambling operators are supposed to allocate 20 per cent of their digital and broadcast advertising budgets to safer gambling messaging on digital channels. However, GambleAware raised concerns over a lack of monitoring, and a lack of published evidence showing the potential impact.
Its research also found that the industry-produced adverts increase gambling intentions among the groups that are most at risk, including younger people and those experiencing gambling problems. Those aged 18-34 were over three times as likely as those aged 55+ to engage with gambling adverts in the experiment.
A video produced by GambleAware to reduce the stigma around gambling harm was included in the research as a comparison. The charity says its video was the only one that was found to be effective in reducing gambling intentions. The researchers concluded that this was because the video was effective at normalising the idea of gambling problems as being common while encouraging self-reflection and countering the idea that gambling is harmless fun.
GambleAware was the most trusted brand in the study, showing the importance of safer gambling and public health messaging coming from non-industry sources, the charity said.
Professor Elliot Ludvig said: “This study was a Randomised Controlled Trial that tested the impact of different safer gambling advertising videos on people’s gambling behaviour, attitudes, and intentions. The aim was to produce evidence to inform guidance on the design of effective safer gambling advertising videos and to establish how to measure their impact.
“The study suggests that some safer gambling videos from gambling operators have a backfire effect, encouraging gambling and having the opposite effect to their intended purpose of helping people control how much they gamble. The findings from this experiment should be used to help to guide the design of effective safer gambling advertising videos and establish standards for measuring their impact.”
Call for safer gambling video guidelines
In response to the findings, GambleAware is calling for the UK government to create safer gambling video guidelines, as well as more effective monitoring and accountability for industry-led campaigns. The charity is urging the government to introduce a consistent framework to ensure such campaigns are genuinely protective. This follows its previous calls for mandatory health warnings and effective signposting on all gambling marketing.
GambleAware chief communications officer Alexia Clifford said: “This new research shows that so-called ‘safer gambling’ videos produced by gambling operators could be doing more harm than good. It’s unacceptable that adverts claiming to help people reduce their risk of harm are encouraging people to gamble more instead.
“The gambling industry cannot be left to ‘mark its own homework’ on such an important issue. We need stronger legislation on gambling marketing and advertising, including more effective monitoring of gambling industry-led advertising campaigns, health warnings on all gambling advertising, and for all adverts to signpost to where people can get help for gambling harms.”
It should be noted that the study only had 443 participants and only measured the click-through rate to a mock gambling app, not actual bets placed.
GambleAware has announced that it will cease operations by March 2026. Its administration of voluntary donations from the gambling industry is coming to an end following the introduction of a new mandatory gambling levy on licensed operators in April. Funds from the new levy will be distributed by the NHS.
