Young Irish gamblers call for stronger messages surrounding gambling-related harm

Young adult gamblers in Ireland want to see stronger marketing regulations and messaging about gambling-related harms, according to new research published by the Institute of Public Health.

The study, undertaken by the Institute for Social Marketing and Health at the University of Stirling, interviewed 16 young adults aged between 18 and 34 in Ireland between February to March 2022, with each participant interviewed one-to-one.

Of the 16 people, eight were low-risk gamblers while the others were high-risk.

When asked for their views on the way the gambling industry markets itself, the participants said they were frequently exposed to adverts across multiple media platforms, with some calling it “inescapable”.

Interviewer three, a low-risk male gambler, said: “Everywhere I can think of I think I’ve probably seen gambling adverts,” while interviewer 16, a high-risk male gambler, commented: “If you’re watching sports, it’s impossible to miss it, it’s nearly a daily basis for myself.”

The style of gambling marketing was discussed, with interviewer 16 commenting that to a young child, an advert for online slots “looks like a game” – an opinion shared by interviewer five, a low-risk female gambler who added that “they are absolutely lethal because they give the impression it’s literally just a game”.

Interviewees added that the use of celebrities, sports personalities and cartoons were attention-grabbing.

Participants were asked about gambling regulation, and some were in favour of the whistle-to-whistle ban where no gambling ads are shown five minutes before or after a live sports event.

Interviewer 15, a high-risk female gambler, said: “You’d have people betting during the match wouldn’t you, and stuff like that, so yeah that’s good.”

However, interviewer 16 argued five minutes before isn’t that long and interviewer six, a low-risk male gambler, said: “If it’s not mandatory, it seems a bit futile.”

The Institute of Public Health noted: “While this initiative could help reduce exposure and temptation, several participants expressed concern that it was voluntary and did not cover all sports, such as horse or greyhound racing, or that the timeframe was insufficient given that there are many sporting events after 9pm.”

On the topic of self-exclusion, the majority felt that people who self-exclude should receive no marketing ads during the period, with one participant stating they had “assumed it was already law”.

In terms of a complete ban on gambling marketing, the researchers noted “mixed views” among the interviewees, with those in favour noting people would still be able to gamble but that it would “remove a lure”.

Those opposed or unsure on the blanket ban came from the low-risk group, with respondents arguing that such a measure was “too extreme” and that gambling companies are “legitimate businesses”.

The researchers also explored the role of responsible gambling messaging among the study group, with a backing for the existing ‘When the fun stops, stop’ and ‘Take time to think’ messages as “strong and direct”.

But for others, responsible gambling messages were small, only shown at the end of adverts, and were seen as promotion to gamble.

The study also put forward a mix of humorous messages, taglines that evidence harms and messaging focused on the impact on families.

Humorous messages, such as ‘The best way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket’, were deemed to have minimised the “potential negative consequences of gambling”.

However, taglines such as ‘Gambling can result in serious personal, social, emotional and financial problems’ were viewed as “straightforward and realistic” when it came to communicating gambling-related harms.

Lead researcher Dr Crawford Moodie from the University of Stirling said: “This study found that young adult gamblers in Ireland were highly exposed to gambling marketing and ads across many platforms but mainly through television and social media.

“For many this exposure was annoying and for some difficult to avoid. Such routine exposure only helps to normalise gambling.

“Participants were generally favourable towards measures that could address the high volume of gambling marketing and that may offer greater protection to consumers in general and young people in particular.

“They were broadly critical of the voluntary messaging currently used on marketing communications, with the consensus being that messaging must be designed independently of the gambling industry to ensure that consumers are better informed about the potential risks associated with gambling,” he added.