Sports betting incentives encourage gamblers to select the long odds: An experimental investigation using monetary rewards

The impact of gambling advertising and marketing on online gambling behavior: an analysis based on Spanish data

OBJECTIVES

Online platforms have transformed gambling into a daily activity for many, raising concerns about its potential harm. Notably, marketing strategies play a crucial role in influencing gambling behaviors and normalizing gambling. This study aims to explore the relationship between monthly marketing expenditure by the gambling industry, the online amount of money bet, and the number of online accounts (active and new) in Spain. A secondary goal is to assess the impact of marketing restrictions under the Spanish Royal Decree 958/2020 on the relationship between marketing and online gambling behavior.

STUDY DESIGN

Longitudinal study.

METHODS

Data covering January 2013 to December 2023. Dependent variables included: new accounts, active accounts, gambler deposits, and the total money bet. Independent variables included: expenditure on advertising, bonuses, affiliate marketing, and sponsorship. A Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model was employed to assess marketing's impact on online gambling behavior.

RESULTS

Findings show that investment in advertising (P ≤ 0.025), promotions (P < 0.001), and sponsorships (P ≤ 0.004) significantly increase the number of new and active accounts, deposits, and total money bet. For instance, it has been estimated that, for every €1 invested in bonuses and sponsorship, gamblers deposit €1.6 and €4 into their accounts, respectively. Moreover, the Spanish law regulating gambling advertising has seemingly weakened the link between marketing expenditure and gambling behavior, with the notable exception of bonuses, where the impact has intensified.

CONCLUSIONS

These results underline the importance of ongoing monitoring and regulation of gambling behavior in Spain, emphasizing the need for strict adherence to regulations.

Feature preferences of sports betting platforms: A discrete choice experiment shows why young bettors prefer smartphones

Background and aims

Smartphone, computer and land-based betting platforms each have distinctive features. This study examined 1) preferred features of sports betting platforms amongst young adults and 2) whether feature preferences vary with gambling severity.

Methods

The study surveyed 616 Australians aged 18-29 years who bet at-least monthly on sports, esports and/or daily fantasy sports. Participants provided a simple rating of the importance of 24 features of betting platforms and then completed a discrete choice experiment to indicate their preferences amongst different groups of features.

Results

Smartphones were the only platform providing all preferred features. The most important feature was ability to bet instantly 24/7 from any location, followed by electronic financial transactions. Less important features were ability to access betting information online and to bet with multiple operators. Social and privacy features, and access to promotions, did not significantly predict platform choice. The experiment found no significant differences in preferred features by gambling severity group or by gender. The non-experimental descriptive data, however, indicated that participants in the moderate risk/problem gambling categories placed significantly more importance on privacy, ability to place in-play bets, bet with cash, bet with a credit card, see frequent promotions, and bet with multiple operators.

Discussion and conclusions

Most features that bettors prefer can intensify betting. Curtailment of betting promotions, in-play betting, and credit card betting are measures that can assist higher-risk gamblers without unduly affecting other gamblers. Consumer protection tools, including mandatory pre-commitment, need strengthening to help counter the unique risks of smartphone betting.

The Interest in Betting, Smoking, Alcohol, and Drugs in Malawi: Changing Trends between 2012-2022

Background

In recent years, the online gambling market has rapidly developed, and betting has become one of the most popular forms of gambling. The aim of this study was to analyse the interest of the Malawian population in terms related to betting, sports betting, alcohol, cigarettes, and some psychoactive drugs through the relative search volumes of Google Trends.

Methods

Internet search query data related to betting, sports betting, alcohol, cigarettes, and psychoactive drugs were obtained monthly from Google Trends for the period 2010-2022. Comparisons of interest levels in these topics were conducted in Malawi, and correlation coefficients were calculated.

Results

In Malawi, relative search volumes for betting and sports betting terms were the highest (average RSVs: 66% and 30%). It was found that from 2019 onwards, the interest in betting and sports-related search topics and keywords increased significantly (p < 0.001). Strong positive correlations were found between betting-related keywords and alcohol and gross domestic product (r = 0.831 and r = 0.901, p < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between betting and psychoactive drug-related terms (minimum r = 0.417, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

This study concludes that the interest of the Malawian population in betting has increased in recent years, while interest in psychoactive drugs and alcohol remains high. Gross domestic product is highly correlated with society's interest in betting. It was additionally found that Google Trends can be used as a tool to predict and monitor future risky behaviours, such as gambling disorder.

Situational features of smartphone betting are linked to sports betting harm: An ecological momentary assessment study

Background and aims

Smartphones extend the situational characteristics of sports betting beyond those available with land-based and computer platforms. This study examined 1) the role of situational features and betting platforms in harmful betting behaviours and short-term betting harm, and 2) whether people with more gambling problems have preferred situational features, engage more in harmful betting behaviours, and experience more severe short-term betting harm.

Methods

An ecological momentary assessment analysed 1,378 betting sessions on sports, esports or daily fantasy sports, reported by 267 respondents (18-29 years; 50.9% male) over 10 weeks.

Results

Factor analysis revealed five situational features of betting sessions: 1) quick, easy access from home, 2) ability to bet anywhere anytime, 3) privacy while betting, 4) greater access to promotions and betting options, and 5) ability to use electronic financial transactions. Regression models underpinned the analyses. Greater short-term betting harm was significantly associated with the ability to bet anywhere anytime, privacy when betting, and greater access to promotions and betting options. Betting sessions when these features were prioritised were more likely to involve impulsive betting, use of betting inducements, and betting with more operators. Respondents with more gambling problems were more likely to prioritise privacy and the ability to bet anywhere anytime; and to bet on in-game events, use promotional inducements, bet with more operators, and report greater betting harm.

Discussion and conclusions

Certain situational features of sports betting are empirically associated with engagement and subsequent harm. Only smartphone betting combines all three features associated with betting harm.

The role of mental health in online gambling decisions: A discrete choice experiment

People with mental health problems are more likely to experience problems due to gambling, an intersection of two sources of social disadvantage. However, the mechanisms by which this occurs remain unclear. Analysing if choices while gambling differ for people with mental health problems, and whether these differences involve characteristics linked with gambling harms, can improve this understanding. Evidence on this is limited because most studies rely on survey questions or aggregate data which are either self-reported, unlikely to allow for identification of separate features of gambling options, or do not observe the full set of options people are choosing between. Discrete Choice Experiments can circumvent these issues by observing the gambling environment and individual's gambling choices. This study uses a Discrete Choice Experiment to analyse people's choices while gambling, and if these differ for people with mental health problems. Participants were offered a series of 6 choice sets representing online gambling on horse racing; each presented two hypothetical horse races, both with eight horses, differing in the information they provided. Participants chose which race (if any) and horse they would bet on. The choices were modelled using mixed logit models. People with mental health problems had (i) a lower preference for betting on races with information about horses' recent form and (ii) preferred betting on horses with higher odds. (i) Could indicate that they put less thought into their bet, a sign of gambling as an escape. (ii) Could indicate that they are more risk seeking. These are two gambling characteristics linked with problems due to gambling and are plausible mechanisms by which people with mental health problems may be more likely to develop problems due to gambling.

Associations between playing free-to-play sports gambling predictor games and online sports betting frequency for men in the United Kingdom

Aim

This study aimed to describe associations between playing predictor games and online sports betting behaviours, and problem gambling.

Methods

An online survey using a convenience sample was completed by males aged 18 + years, living in the United Kingdom, and having participated in any gambling activity in the past year (n = 384). The survey asked questions about sociodemographics, gambling behaviours and predictor game playing behaviours. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) tool was used to determine existence of at-risk and problem gambling. Bivariate analyses using X2, and multivariate analyses using binary logistic regressions were carried out.

Results

Predictor games were played by 45.8% of all participants. In bivariate analyses, there was an association between predictor game playing and age (p = 0.019), with predictor game playing most prevalent in the age group 18–24 years 51.8%. In bivariate analysis, there was a significant graded relationship between playing predictor games and PGSI group (p < 0.001), with predictor game playing most prevalent among those with problem gambling 76.9%. In multivariate analysis, after controlling for sociodemographics and PGSI group, those who played predictor games were 2.80 (1.65–4.74 p < 0.001) times more likely to engage in high frequency online sports gambling than those who did not play predictor games.

Conclusions

This study suggests there may be links between playing predictor games and gambling harms through increased frequency of online sports gambling, particularly amongst already vulnerable groups. Policy options placing restrictions on the most harmful inducements – one of which being predictor games – must be considered to protect against gambling harms.

‘Immediate access … everywhere you go’: a Grounded Theory Study of How Smartphone Betting Can Facilitate Harmful Sports Betting Behaviours Amongst Young Adults

This study explored how the use of smartphones can influence sports betting by young adults, compared to using computers and land-based betting facilities. Interviews with 33 Australians aged 18–29 years, who bet regularly on sports, esports, and/or fantasy sports, were analysed using adaptive grounded theory. Seven major themes related to platform functionality, sourcing betting information, physical accessibility, financial accessibility, social influences, privacy, and marketing. The grounded theory model depicts how features of smartphones, online gambling, and betting apps combine in smartphone betting to provide instantaneous access to betting, anywhere and at any time, to facilitate harmful betting behaviours. These behaviours included increased betting participation, frequency and expenditure, placing a wider variety of bets, impulsive and spontaneous betting, placing riskier bets with longer odds, chasing losses, and acting on social encouragement to bet. These findings can inform harm minimisation measures, regulation, and policy.

How structural changes in online gambling are shaping the contemporary experiences and behaviours of online gamblers: an interview study

Background

Over the last decade, the provision of online gambling has intensified with increased access, enhanced betting markets, a broader product range, and prolific marketing. However, little research has explored how this intensification is influencing contemporary gambling experiences. This study focused on two research questions: 1) What changes in online gambling have online gamblers observed over the past decade? 2) How have these changes influenced the online gambling experiences and behaviours reported by treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking gamblers?

Methods

Two samples of Australian adults were interviewed: 1) 19 people who had been gambling online for at least a decade and with no history of treatment-seeking for online gambling, and 2) 10 people who had recently sought professional help for an online gambling problem. Telephone interviews were semi-structured, with questions that encouraged participants to consider how their online gambling, including any harmful gambling, had been influenced by changes in operator practices and online gambling environments. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Both treatment- and non-treatment-seekers noted the increased speed and ease of online gambling, which now enables instant access from anywhere at any time and increased their gambling opportunities. Both groups highlighted the continued proliferation of advertising and inducements for online gambling, particularly during televised sports and racing events, in social media, and through targeted push marketing. Many treatment- and non-treatment-seekers were aware of the vast range of recently introduced bet types, particularly multi-bets. Treatment-seekers disproportionately reported negative effects from these changes, and described how and why they fostered their increased gambling, impulsive gambling, persistence and loss-chasing. They reported limited uptake and effectiveness of current harm minimisation tools.

Conclusions

Counter to stated policy and practice objectives to minimise gambling harm, industry changes that have made online gambling easier, faster, and more heavily incentivised, and increased the array of complex bets with poorer odds, unduly affect addicted and harmed individuals – who are also the most profitable customers. Further consideration is needed to ensure gambling policy, industry practices and public health measures more effectively reduce gambling harm in contemporary settings. Inducements and the poor pricing of complex bets such as multi-bets, and their outsized attraction to players with problems, should be a key focus.

Impact of wagering inducements on the gambling behaviors of on-line gamblers: A longitudinal study based on gambling tracking data

AIMS

To estimate whether the use of wagering inducements has a significant impact on the gambling behaviors of on-line gamblers and describe this temporal relation under naturalistic conditions.

DESIGN

This longitudinal observational study is part of the second stage of the Screening for Excessive Gambling Behaviors on the Internet (EDEIN) research program.

SETTING

Gambling tracking data from the French national on-line gambling authority (poker, horse race betting and sports betting) and from the French national lottery operator (lotteries and scratch games).

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 9306 gamblers who played poker, horse race or sports betting and 5682 gamblers who played lotteries and scratch games completed an on-line survey. The gender ratio was largely male (between 87.1% and 92.9% for poker, horse race betting and sports betting, and equal to 65.1% for lotteries). Median age ranged from 35 (sports betting) to 53 (horse race betting and lotteries).

MEASUREMENTS

The survey used the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) to determine the status of the gamblers (at-risk or not). Gambling tracking data included weekly gambling intensity (wagers, deposits), gambling frequency (number of gambling days), proxies of at-risk gambling behaviors (chasing and breadth of involvement) and use of wagering inducements.

FINDINGS

The use of wagering inducements was associated with an increase of gambling intensity [β between -0.06 (-0.08; -0.05) and 0.57 (0.54; 0.60)], gambling frequency [β between 0.12 (0.10; 0.18) and 0.29 (0.28; 0.31)] and at-risk gambling behaviors [odds ratio between 1.32 (1.16; 1.50) and 4.82 (4.61; 5.05)] at the same week of their use. This effect was stronger for at-risk gambling behaviors and at-risk gamblers.

CONCLUSIONS

Wagering inducements may represent a risk factor for developing or exacerbating gambling problems.

Changes to the playing field: A contemporary study of actual European online sports betting

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Online sports wagering is a popular and still growing gambling activity around the world. Like other types of gambling, it can lead to problems that include devastating financial, social, and health-related harms. The first analysis of actual online sports wagering activity (LaBrie et al., 2007) suggested that levels of financial and time involvement were more moderate than anticipated from earlier self-report studies. However, these findings are now more than a decade old.

METHODS

The current study examined actual online sports wagering activity of a similar cohort of 32,262 gamblers who subscribed to a European online betting platform in February 2015 to understand how sports betting might have changed in ten years. Measures included subscriber characteristics, betting activities, and transactional activities.

RESULTS

Players placed a median of 15 bets during the 8-month study period, made a median of 2.5 bets per betting day, had a median bet size of 6.1 euros, and experienced a median net loss of 25 euros. We were able to distinguish highly involved bettors in the top 2% of total wagered, net loss, and number of bets, whose behavior differed from that of the rest of the sample.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Sports wagering behavior has remained relatively stable over time despite legislative changes and an increase in popularity, with a small subset of subscribers exhibiting disproportionately high engagement, transactional activity, and in-game betting. Further investigation of individual trajectories of wagering behavior and engagement with different types of sports wagering products is merited.

What's the Message? A Content Analysis of Emails and Texts Received from Wagering Operators During Sports and Racing Events

Previous research has established direct messages (such as emails and text messages) are a widely seen form of advertising and are highly influential on sports betting and race betting behaviour. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the specific content of these messages, and whether their content is related to account-holders' betting behaviour. The current study used an ecological momentary assessment design to examine direct messages received from wagering operators during the week around major Australian sports and racing events. Respondents completed a baseline survey followed by short daily surveys over a period of 1 week during peak betting periods, and provided the research team with the emails and text messages they received from wagering operators during this time. A sample of 102 sports and 110 race bettors provided a total of 931 messages. These messages subsequently underwent a content analysis to extract key features that were promoted, including inducements, incentives, and bet type. The analysis found the messages were saturated with inducements to bet, however no relationships were identified between the content of messages and the gambling risk status or betting frequency of participants. The most common types of incentives offered included bonus bets, rewards points, better odds/winnings, and reduced risk. Frequently promoted inducements included bonus or better winnings, refund/stake back offers, and match your stake/deposit. Given the influences of inducements on increasing betting expenditure and impulsive betting identified through previous research, taken together with the findings of the current study, direct messages may contribute to experiencing gambling-related harm. These findings have important implications for consumer education and the regulation of direct messages.

Structural characteristics of fixed-odds sports betting products

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

A literature exists on the structural characteristics of electronic gambling machines (EGMs), which are design innovations that can promote spending excessive time and money on these games. Fixed-odds sports betting products, where bettors place sports bets against a bookmaker, have also seen significant innovations in recent years. Despite some differences between these gambling products, similar structural characteristics could also be relevant to sports betting. The aim was to review previous research on contemporary fixed-odds sports betting products, and to identify whether structural characteristics from the EGM literature are also relevant to sports betting.

METHODS

Structural characteristics uncovered by two influential reviews of EGMs were identified, and their relevance to fixed-odds sports betting products discussed via a narrative review.

RESULTS

Structural characteristics of payout interval and potential betting frequency (in-play betting), multiplier potential (accumulators, complex bets, multis), win probability and payout ratio (all bets), bettor involvement (custom sports betting products, cash out), skill required (all bets), and near-misses (accumulators, complex bets, multis) were all identified in modern fixed-odds sports betting products.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Fixed-odds sports betting products have increasingly incorporated structural characteristics previously found in EGMs. Future research could further assess the extent to which these structural characteristics contribute to fixed-odds sports bettors spending excessive amounts of time and money while betting. These findings can help guide further sports betting research, contribute to an improved understanding of the potential universality of gambling product design, and inform policy.

Visibility of age restriction warnings, harm reduction messages and terms and conditions: a content analysis of paid-for gambling advertising in the United Kingdom

OBJECTIVE

The inclusion and design of age restriction warnings, harm reduction messages and terms and conditions (T&Cs) in gambling advertising is self-regulated in the United Kingdom. Our study examines the visibility and nature of this information in a sample of paid-for gambling adverts.

STUDY DESIGN

A content analysis of a stratified random sample of gambling adverts (n = 300) in the United Kingdom from eight paid-for advertising channels (March 2018).

METHODS

For each advert, we assessed whether any age restriction warnings, harm reduction messages and T&Cs were present. If so, visibility was scored on a five-point scale ranging from very poor (≤10% of advert space) to very good (≥26% of advert), which had high inter-rater reliability. Descriptive information on position, design and tone of language was recorded.

RESULTS

One in seven adverts (14%) did not feature an age restriction warning or harm reduction message. In adverts that did, 84% of age restriction warnings and 54% of harm reduction messages had very poor visibility. At least one in ten adverts did not contain T&Cs. In adverts that did, 73% had very poor visibility. For age restriction warnings, harm reduction messages and T&Cs, most appeared in small fonts and outside the main advert frame. Most harm reduction messages did not actually reference gambling-related harms.

CONCLUSION

Age restriction warnings, harm reduction messages and T&Cs do not always appear in paid-for gambling advertising. When they do, visibility is often very poor and the messaging not clear. The findings do not support a self-regulatory approach to managing this information in gambling adverts.

Impact of Wagering Inducements on the Gambling Behaviors, Cognitions, and Emotions of Online Gamblers: A Randomized Controlled Study

Wagering inducements are part of loyalty/reward programs implemented by online gambling operators to retain or attract consumers. They constitute incentives to bet that are offered to gamblers provided that they perform certain betting-related activities. They are often considered risk factors for gambling problems, but studies exploring the actual impacts of such incentives are scarce. The objective of the present study was to assess the actual impact of wagering inducements on gambling behaviors, cognitions, and emotions of online gamblers. One hundred seventy-one adults (18-65 years old) who gamble on a regular basis on the Internet, including at-risk and recreational gamblers, were recruited through media announcements and in panels from survey institutes. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions, in which a defined amount of money was given to the gambler with a bank e-card system during an experimental gambling session to simulate a wagering inducement (€10, €50, €100, or €200), or the control condition, in which no incentive was given. The experimental gambling session was designed to be as natural as possible (participants gambled with their own gambling account and their own money). Participants completed a pretest interview, took part in the experimental gambling session, and then completed a post-test interview. The impact of wagering inducements was estimated on objective (money wagered and time spent gambling during the gambling session) and subjective (cognitive distortions, enjoyment of gambling, loss of control, and respect of usual gambling habits) gambling endpoints that were compared between conditions. Two-thirds of participants reported having already received wagering inducements at some point of their gambling course. Although no effect was demonstrated on time spent gambling, inducements increased money wagered, gambling-related expectancies and perceived loss of control. In particular, it seems that wagering inducements could lead to extreme expenses, especially for at-risk gamblers. This research suggests that regulating wagering inducements could be helpful for prevention and early intervention. Future research on the impacts of wagering inducements is still needed, especially more ecological studies based on behavioral tracking data and studies assessing the differential impacts of various incentive types. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT01789580 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Interest in inducements: A psychophysiological study on sports betting advertising

Recent research has shown an association between the viewing of wagering advertising, which often presents inducements to gamble, and maladaptive sports-betting behaviours; however, the mechanism/s underlying the development of the intention to gamble remains relatively understudied. Eye-tracking and tonic electrodermal activity was recorded from 59 participants (including 49 regular gamblers and 10 non-gamblers), while they watched a series of advertisements. Following each advertisement, participants were asked to rate how likely they would be to take up the offer presented, therein. The number of fixations placed on each offer differed according to the type of inducement shown (p < .001), with reduced risk and cash back inducements being looked at more often than better odds and bonus bet inducements by all groups. Increased electrodermal activity while viewing the advertisements was associated with greater severity of gambling-related harm (p < .001), as well as greater ratings of desire for most advertisements. Rating of desire was, likewise, positively associated with gambling-related harm (p < .001). These results may suggest that, while the offers in gambling advertisements may be looked at by most viewers, unless there an attendant increase in arousal, it is quite unlikely that these inducements will elicit a desire to gamble. For individuals already at risk of gambling problems, exposure to these advertisements, especially those offering what is perceived to be safer betting options that minimise financial losses, may exacerbate existing harms. Such information may prove useful in guiding industry practice, government regulations, therapeutic interventions, and future research on this topic.