GambleAware is calling on the UK Government to produce safer gambling video guidelines after new research brings into question the impact of operator’s safer gambling adverts.
In addition, the charity is also calling for more effective monitoring and accountability for industry-led campaigns, as well as a consistent framework to ensure adverts are protective.
Conducted by Thinks Insight & Strategy with academic expert Professor Elliot Ludvig, the research examined the effectiveness of safer gambling video campaigns currently being used by major operators.
Videos used include a control video, ‘Magnets’ stigma campaign by GambleAware, Play at your best by Betfair, Top tips for positive play by William Hill, Take time to think by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), as well as Made to play safely by 888.
Participants were randomly exposed to the different safer gambling video adverts, followed by a simulated online environment in which the video’s effect on their subsequent inclination to gamble was captured. This was done to see what safer gambling message types affect gambling behaviours and attitudes, as well as how effective operator methods were in reducing harmful gambling.
‘Backfire effects’
The study noted that Top tips for positive play by William Hill and Made to play safely by 888 adverts had “backfire effects” and led to a significant increase in click-through rates compared to the control.
According to the study, these videos “may encourage gambling engagement, potentially due to their framing or the promotional nature of their messaging. Attitudinal survey results suggest the videos may reinforce the idea that gambling is safe, create a false sense of security, increase gambling intent, and, despite being perceived as trustworthy, subtly downplay gambling risks”.
The study noted that 45% of participants that were shown the Made to play safely by 888 felt as though it suggested gambling was harmless fun, while this figure was 38% for the Top tips for positive play by William Hill.
Ludvig stated: “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.”
Other results
The ‘Magnets’ stigma campaign video was shown to have ‘protective effects’, resulting in a significant decrease in click-through rates, as their personal narrative and serious tone may have helped to foster “greater awareness of gambling harms”.
In addition, the attitudinal survey results suggest that the video “effectively normalises gambling problems as widespread, encourages self-reflection, counters the idea of gambling as harmless fun, and is perceived as trustworthy, potentially enhancing its protective impact on behaviour”.
Of the participants, 15% thought the advert suggested that gambling was harmless fun.
Play at your best by Betfair and Take Time To Think by the BGC were said to not produce significant behaviour changes, as the study stated that the Take Time To Think messaging “had no effect” while the Play at your best “had a straightforward, clear communication style and did not backfire”.
The videos were also said to be able to provide “useful strategies for managing gambling but do not strongly encourage self-regulation or behaviour change, slightly increase gambling intent, and foster a sense of control without clearly influencing gambling decisions”.
Of the participants, 39% thought Play at your best by Betfair suggested that gambling was harmless fun, while this figure was 32% for Take Time To Think by the BGC.
Industry can’t ‘mark its own homework’
GambleAware also noted that the study found that the industry-produced adverts increase gambling intentions among communities most at risk, including younger people and those experiencing gambling problems, as on average, 14% of those aged 18-34 clicked on the “pop up” advert to place a free bet, compared to vs 4% of those aged 55+.
In addition, the charity mentioned that gambling operators are supposed to allocate 20% of their digital and broadcast advertising budgets to safer gambling messaging on digital channels, but prior to this study, there was a lack of monitoring this and a lack of published evidence showing the potential impact.
Alexia Clifford, GambleAware Chief Communications Officer, 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.”
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