UKGC data: 76% of people watched gambling ads on TV in 2020
Regulator suggests effects of gambling marketing may have been “exacerbated” by the pandemic but reaffirms no rise in gambling or problem gambling rates
Three quarters (76%) of the British population saw gambling adverts on television during 2020, according to the latest data published by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
The survey, conducted by Yonder Consulting, collected a nationally representative sample of approximately 8,000 adults aged 18 and over across Great Britain.
The participants were interviewed during March, June, September or December of 2020 as the data was collected during national or local lockdowns to investigate the prevalence of advertising throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
TV ads (76%) were the most common type of gambling marketing seen by the participants during that period, closely followed by gambling sponsorship on TV, radio or podcasts at 67%.
The third most common form of exposure was through gambling sponsorship on sports merchandise, including football shirts, at 60% of participants, according to the survey.
The UKGC said the study was conducted to help understand the cumulative impact of all types of advertising activity on consumers.
It said: “The effects of gambling advertising may have been potentially exacerbated by the pandemic, where many people have been at home more, watching more live TV, spending more time online and on social media, and have seen their financial circumstances change.
“We should be clear – our official statistics on gambling participation don’t indicate an increase in gambling through the pandemic period, in fact the opposite. Similarly, we aren’t seeing an increase in problem gambling rates at a population level.
“Nonetheless, all who are interested in gambling-related trends should be alert to the potential risks of ad exposure to different population groups,” it added.
The full survey can be accessed here.