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Impact of Sports Betting Advertising on Gambling Behavior: A Systematic

Review

Article · March 2022

DOI: 10.5152/ADDICTA.2022.21080

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 THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Impact of Sports Betting Advertising on Gambling

Behavior: A Systematic Review
Elizabeth Killick , Mark D. Griffiths

Department of Psychology, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

ORCID IDs of the authors: E.K. 0000-0002-0576-8081; M.D.G. 0000-0001-8880-6524

Main Points

• The volume of gambling advertising is increasing, as is the popularity of sports betting.

• Based on a review of 22 studies, most empirical research is limited to self-reported cross-sectional
data.
• Sports betting marketing has a positive relationship with sports betting attitudes, intentions, and
behaviours.
• The influence of sports betting marketing appears to be strongest among those who score higher on
measures of problem gambling severity.
• Much of the research to date has been conducted using Australian samples therefore findings should
be interpreted with caution.

Abstract

In the UK and elsewhere, the volume of gambling advertising is increasing, as is the popularity of sports
betting. Through a systematic review, the available literature was synthesized to identify the ways in which
sports betting advertising influences sports betting attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. A total of 22 stud-
ies were identified and included in the review. Overall, the marketing of sports betting was found to have a
positive relationship with sports betting attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. This relationship appears to
be the strongest among high-risk problem gamblers. Some marketing strategies elicited greater behavioral
responses, for example, direct messages. There was also a difference in preference for the advertised wager-
ing inducements between problem gambling groups. Although there has been a recent increase in experimen-
tal methodologies examining sports betting marketing, to date, empirical research has been largely limited
to self-reported cross-sectional data.
Keywords: Gambling, advertising, sports betting, systematic review, marketing

Introduction soccer clubs had been made after the UK legislation

was relaxed in 2007 (Bunn et al., 2019).
In many countries, there has been an increase in the
Corresponding Author: availability of online gambling (Gainsbury, 2015), The growth of gambling marketing and advertis-
Mark D. Griffiths, and this has been accompanied by an increase in ing, together with developments in technology, has
E-mail: the frequency of gambling advertisements, in par- resulted in concerns about the potentially nega-
[email protected] ticular television advertisements and sponsorship tive effects of marketing and advertising, especially
(Lamont et al., 2011). The advertising and marketing upon children and young and vulnerable individuals
Received: August 17, 2021 spend for sports betting products has dramatically (Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, 2016). Binde
Accepted: December 30, 2021 increased in recent years. For example, statistics (2014) noted that it is important to differentiate and
show that in the UK, sports betting sponsorship has understand the impact of various forms of advertis-
©Copyright by 2021 Türkiye doubled, from £30m to £60m, in a three-year period
Yeşilay Cemiyeti (Turkish
ing on different population subgroups so that edu-
Green Crescent Society) - (GambleAware, 2018). Research has indicated that cators, researchers, regulators, and legislators can
Available online at 95% of soccer shirt sponsorships deals with English respond accordingly. The impact of advertising on
www.addicta.com.tr

Cite this article as: Killick, E., & Griffiths, M. D. (2021). Impact of sports betting advertising on gambling behavior: A systematic review. Addicta:
The Turkish Journal on Addictions., 8(3), 201-214.

DOI: 10.5152/ADDICTA.2022.21080 201

Killick & Griffiths. Sports Betting Advertising and Gambling Behavior
the development of gambling problems remains largely unknown, The aim of the present study was to systematically review the
and this is the case for different types of gambling activity, includ- available literature to synthesize and critically evaluate empiri-
ing sports betting, and across different types of advertisements cal evidence published concerning sports betting advertising
(Labrador et al., 2021). Moreover, the evidence of particular effects strategies, with particular attention to studies that concern the
on specific groups is inconclusive, as is the process in which adver- impact of such advertising on participation in sports betting. The
tising facilitates problem gambling (Labrador et al., 2021). specific research objectives of the study were to: (i) describe the
selected literature (study locations, populations, research meth-
A “rapid evidence review” by Planzer and Wardle (2012) highlighted
ods, and outcomes); (ii) review the associations between gambling
two main themes within the empirical studies examining the impact
exposure and sports betting attitudes, intentions, and behaviors;
of gambling advertising. They suggested that advertising might work
(iii) describe how these features differ across sports bettors with
by: (i) triggering consumption among at-risk and problem gamblers;
differing problem gambling status; (iv) assess the methodological
and (ii) altering how gambling is perceived within particular popu-
quality of the studies included; and (v) identify future research
lation groups. According to the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen,
needs to inform policy makers and researchers, regarding future
1992), behaviors such as gambling participation are mediated by an
policy on sports betting advertising.
individual’s attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral
control (Flack & Morris, 2015). Previous research has identified Methods
an association between gambling advertising, attitudes, intentions
to gamble, and gambling behavior (Bouguettayaal  et  al., 2020; Relevant studies were identified by searching three electronic
Derevensky et al., 2010; Korn et al., 2005). databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus. The search was
restricted to papers published in the English language and before
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in attention August 1, 2021. The search words included “online gambling,”
paid to the role of gambling advertising in gambling-related “internet gambling,” “remote gambling,” “interactive gambling,”
behaviors. As a result, there has been an increase in peer-reviewed “sports bet*,” “football bet*,” “in-play,” “sponsorship,” “adver-
research published on this topic. A recently published critical and tis*,” “marketing,” and “promotion.” The present authors took
meta-­nalytic review (Bouguettaya et al., 2020) attempted to estab- a similar approach to Bouguettaya et al. (2020) and did not use
lish the relationship between exposure to gambling advertising a strict definition or measure of attitudes, intentions, or behav-
and gambling-related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors across iors, but included any studies that described one or more of these
all types of gambling. The results suggested a positive association features within the findings. The search resulted in an initial
between exposure to gambling advertising and gambling-related retrieval of 658 journal papers. Reference lists of papers were
attitudes, intentions, and behavior, and that the association was also read to identify research that did not appear in the initial
greatest for gambling behavior. Since the publication of this review, screening procedure. All searches were conducted from August 1
nine additional studies have been published which have specifically to August 14 (2021). After duplicates were removed, a total of
examined the impact of sports betting advertising. 458 papers were searched by their title, and abstracts with 59 of

Figure 1.  PRISMA Flowchart of Study Selection for the Systematic Review.

202
 Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 8(3), 201-214
those papers being identified as potentially relevant. The full text that it has become so prevalent during sporting events (Killick
of the remaining 59 papers was inspected, and 22 papers met the & Griffiths, 2020; Lamont  et  al., 2016). However, one study by
inclusion and exclusion criteria (Figure 1). Lopez-Gonzalez et al. (2020) found that sports bettors currently
undergoing treatment for gambling disorder reported that the
Inclusion Criteria “attention-grabbing” forms of marketing were advertisements
To be included as an output to be evaluated, the published paper they saw when in betting shops and the direct advertising mes-
had to: (i) be written in the English language; (ii) report an empir- sages sent to them by bookmakers.
ical study collecting primary data on sports betting advertising
and sports betting outcomes; (iii) address sports betting market- Many sports betting advertisements include inducements or
ing only (rather than other gambling types); (iv) employ an adult incentives to gamble. Lopez-Gonzalez  et  al. (2020) reported
sample; and (v) be published in a peer-reviewed journal. that participants perceived sports betting bonuses as the most
pervasive marketing technique used by sports betting opera-
Results tors. Four of the qualitative studies (Deans et al., 2017; Killick
& Griffiths, 2020; Lamont  et  al., 2016; Lopez-Gonzalez  et  al.,
General Characteristics 2020) explored whether particular types of wagering inducement
A total of 22 studies that were identified as meeting the inclusion were more appealing to sports bettors than others. Deans et al.
criteria are summarized in Table 1. The overall sample sizes of (2017) reported that inducements and incentives such as cash-
the participants in the studies ranged from 39 to 1813. Most of back offers and bonus bets lowered participants’ perceptions
the studies had been conducted in Australia (n = 16). Other stud- about the risks associated with sports betting. Similarly, Killick
ies were carried out in Spain (n = 2), the UK (n = 3) and the US and Griffiths (2020) found that sports bettors reported new cus-
(n = 1). There were few studies that employed an experimental (n tomer offers, enhanced odds, and customized sports bets that
= 5) or longitudinal methodology (n = 3). The remaining studies reduced feelings of risk, while enhanced odds offers gave partici-
were qualitative (n = 5), cross-sectional (n = 8), or used a mixed- pants the perception that they had a higher likelihood of win-
methods design (n = 1). ning the bet. Lamont  et  al. (2016) reported that sports bettors

Sports Betting Advertising and Sports Betting Attitudes

typically viewed advertisements positively, particularly if they
displayed practical information about bonuses or odds perceived
Ten studies reported an association between sports betting adver- as attractive.
tising and sports betting-related attitudes (see Table 1; Hing et al.,
2013, 2015b, 2017a; Killick & Griffiths, 2020; Lamont et al., 2016; Three of the qualitative studies employed the Problem Gambling
Lopez-Gonzalez et al., 2020; Rockloff et al., 2019; Roderique et al., Severity Index (PGSI; Ferris & Wynne, 2001) to assess problem
2020; Thomas et al., 2012). Attitude measures comprised of affect gambling risk (Deans  et  al., 2017; Killick & Griffiths, 2020;
toward different promotional techniques, perceived affect, and Thomas  et  al., 2012), and one study consisted of a sample of
attitude. Quantitative studies, using a cross-sectional design, sports bettors undergoing treatment for gambling disorder
reported the association of attitudes to various types of expo- (Lopez-Gonzalez  et  al., 2020). Deans  et  al. (2017) found that
sure, including the promotion of gambling during televised sport problem gamblers were more likely to report that sports bet-
(Hing  et  al., 2013, 2015b, 2017a; Roderique  et  al., 2020), sports ting advertising stimulated betting during large sporting events,
betting television commercials (Lole et al., 2020), and simulated and advertisements which offered promotions prompted them
televised sports matches (Rockloff et al., 2019). to bet more than they normally would. Killick and Griffiths
Five studies adopted a qualitative approach (Deans  et  al., (2020) reported that inducements were attractive to both low-
2017; Killick & Griffiths, 2020; Lamont  et  al., 2016; Lopez- risk, moderate-risk, and problem gamblers within the sample.
Gonzalez et al., 2020; Thomas et al., 2012), all of which reported Another study found that problem gamblers were more likely
an association between sports betting advertising and sports bet- to focus on the positive benefits of online gambling incentives,
ting-related attitudes. Four of these studies set out to explore the instead of the long-term risk they posed (Thomas et al., 2012).
perceived influence of sports betting advertising (Deans  et  al., These incentives encouraged them to begin betting online, and to
2017; Killick & Griffiths, 2020; Lopez-Gonzalez  et  al., 2020; opening up an account to take up new offers that were available
Thomas  et  al., 2012), while Lamont  et  al. (2016) examined the (Thomas et al., 2012).
way in which sports betting promotional techniques evoked posi-
tive affect among sports viewers. Sports betting advertising appears to influence gambling atti-
tudes by normalizing sports betting (Deans et al., 2017; Killick
Participants in these studies reported frequent exposure to sports & Griffiths, 2020; Lamont et al., 2016; Thomas et al., 2012). The
betting advertising through multiple marketing channels, includ- constant exposure of sports betting advertising removes the
ing radio, billboards, and pop-ups on social media sites. However, stigma traditionally associated with sports betting (Deans et al.,
a key theme that was identified was the saturation of advertis- 2017). Specific marketing techniques, such as using celebrities
ing within sporting environments (Deans et al., 2017). Gamblers and humorous advertisements, contributed to this normaliza-
felt that sports betting advertising was difficult to avoid dur- tion of sports betting by promoting gambling as harmless, fun,
ing the live broadcast of sports betting matches (Killick & and an avenue to success (Lamont et al., 2016). Young men in
Griffiths, 2020; Thomas et al., 2012). Male participants who often one study reported that over-exposure to gambling advertis-
watched sporting events were the most aware of sports-embed- ing also prompted more frequent discussions about sports bet-
ded advertising (Thomas  et  al., 2012), and some sports bettors ting among peers, as well as feeling more influenced to bet due
negatively viewed this advertising as intrusive and were angry to gambling advertising cues (Thomas  et  al., 2012). However,

203
 Table 1.
Sample Characteristics of Studies Included in the Systematic Review
Exposure to Self-report
advertising/ for
Independent Outcome type of Advertising outcome
Author(s) N Location Study design Age range (years) variables variables advertising recall measures Relationship found
Browne et al. 597 Australia Longitudinal 18–84 years, Advertising Intent, Various forms No Yes Yes and no;
(2019) (repeated race bettors (M = observed problem of advertising exposure to
measure/ 41.3, SD = 13.7) (recall— gambling, and and advertising
ecological Sports bettors immediate, gambling inducements associated with
momentary (M = 40.7, SD = through behavior higher betting and
assessments 14.1) ecological (actual betting, spend, but not with
across three assessment) amount intentions (apart
weeks) spent—split on from for direct
race vs. sport advertising).
bet)
Deans et al. 50 Australia Cross- 20–37 years Advertising Attitude and Various forms Yes N/A Yes, the marketing
(2017) sectional (M = 28, SD = 4) observed (recall) problem of gambling of inducements and
qualitative gambling marketing incentives reduced
feelings of risk and
created feeling of
control, as well as

204
normalizing sports
betting.
Hing et al. 544 Australia Cross- 18–80 years Self-report of Gambling Gambling Yes and no Yes Yes and no, all
Killick & Griffiths. Sports Betting Advertising and Gambling Behavior

(2015a) sectional (M = 42.2 years, watching show behavior and promotions participants
survey SD = 14.26) with embedded problem during televised reported that ads
advertising gambling sport did not influence
them.
However, problem
gamblers self-
reported impacted
frequency and
increased problems.
Hing et al. 1000 Australia Cross- 18–85 years, Self-report of Attitude, Gambling No Yes Yes, main finding
(2015b) sectional mean age and SD watching show intent, promotions that intent to bet is
survey not stated with embedded gambling during televised higher in those who
advertising behavior, and sport saw ads. Problem
problem gamblers felt more
gambling favorable toward
gambling.
(Continued)
 Table 1.
Sample Characteristics of Studies Included in the Systematic Review (Continued)
Exposure to Self-report
advertising/ for
Independent Outcome type of Advertising outcome
Author(s) N Location Study design Age range (years) variables variables advertising recall measures Relationship found
Hing et al. 455 Australia Cross- 18–55 years+, Self-report of Problem Gambling Yes Yes Yes and no,
(2017b) sectional mean age and SD watching sports gambling promotions problem gamblers
survey not stated show with during televised were more likely to
embedded sport have the self-
advertising reported perception
that advertising
had a greater
impact on their
gambling but
exposure was not a
significant predictor
of higher PGSI
score.

Hing et al. 1813 Australia Cross- (M = 35.3 years, Self-report of Gambling Promotions Yes Yes Yes and no, higher
(2018) sectional SD   = 12.7) watching show behavior during televised frequency of

205
survey with embedded sport and other watching sport
advertising, media (embedded with
frequency of advertising gambling
using sports promotions) was
betting associated with
inducements placing bets in-play.
Less frequent
exposure to
marketing was
associated with a
higher number of
bets being placed
in-play.
Hing et al. 722 Australia Longitudinal 18–84 years, race Advertising Problem Direct No Yes Direct messages
(2019) (repeated bettors (M = 43.1, observed (recall, gambling and messages, TV were the types of
measure/ SD = 13.2) but immediate gambling ads, and advertisements
ecological Sports bettors through behavior (split websites perceived to be
momentary (M = 40.7, SD = ecological on race vs. most influential on
assessments 14.1) assessment) sport bet) betting behavior.
across one
week)
Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 8(3), 201-214

(Continued)
 Table 1.
Sample Characteristics of Studies Included in the Systematic Review (Continued)
Exposure to Self-report
advertising/ for
Independent Outcome type of Advertising outcome
Author(s) N Location Study design Age range (years) variables variables advertising recall measures Relationship found
Hing et al. 212 Australia Cross- 18–68 (M = 28.8 Advertising Attitude, Gambling Yes Yes Yes, sports bettors
(2013) sectional years) observed during intention, and promotions have significantly
survey sponsored gambling during televised higher exposure to
sporting match behavior sport advertising, and
(recall, aided, have more positive
and unaided) attitudes.
Hing et al. 611 Australia Experimental 18–75+, mean Presented mock Attitude and Mock gambling No To a Yes, presenting
(2017a) age and SD not advertisements gambling adverts certain “typical”
stated with different behavior degree; advertisement
attributes to (likelihood of asked increased behavior
participant placing a bet “would you more than “neutral”
on the video bet right in most gamblers.
presented) now” The attractive
non-expert female

206
presenter gained
more attention
from all PGSI
groups than other
Killick & Griffiths. Sports Betting Advertising and Gambling Behavior

presenter types. The

bet type in the
advertisement was
associated with
turning attention
into action.
Houghton & 145 Great Experimental 18–64 years (M Presented Intention to Mock sports No Yes Yes, participants
Moss (2020) Britain and cross- = 27.84, SD = Twitter postings gamble betting reported higher
sectional 9.01) from either advertisements likelihood to bet
survey sports betting on Twitter when they were
operators or presented on an
affiliate accounts affiliate account
advertising than an operator
sports bets of account.
various
complexities
(Continued)
 Table 1.
Sample Characteristics of Studies Included in the Systematic Review (Continued)
Exposure to Self-report
advertising/ for
Independent Outcome type of Advertising outcome
Author(s) N Location Study design Age range (years) variables variables advertising recall measures Relationship found
Johnston et al. 551 Australia Cross- 18+, the mean age Sports Intention to Exposure to No Yes Yes, participants
(2015) sectional ranged from 45 to sponsorship gamble gambling who perceived that
survey 49 advertising sponsorship sponsorship
exposure advertising advertising had an
effect on them
significantly
predicted intention
to use the sponsor’s

207
products.
Killick & 19 United Cross- 21–32 years Advertising Attitude and Various No N/A Yes, advertisements
Griffiths, 2020 Kingdom sectional, (M = 25.5, observed (recall) problem marketing influenced gambling
qualitative SD  =  3.25) gambling strategies and the uptake of
wagering
inducements.
Lamont et al. 39 Australia Cross- 18–60 years, Presented real Attitude Gambling No N/A Yes, generally
(2016) sectional, mean and SD not gambling adverts promotions positive reactions
qualitative stated during televised (joy, arousal,
sport optimism, and
excitement) were
reported.

Note: M = mean; SD = standard deviation; N/A, not applicable.

Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 8(3), 201-214
Killick & Griffiths. Sports Betting Advertising and Gambling Behavior
the study by Lopez-Gonzalez et al. (2020) reported that sports Sports Betting Advertising and Sports Betting Intentions
bettors undergoing treatment did not believe that gambling Seven studies have examined the association between exposure to
advertising contributed to any long-term effects of advertising sports betting advertising and sports betting-related intentions
exposure. Rather, they perceived their gambling-related prob- or expectancies (Browne  et  al., 2019, Hing  et  al., 2013, 2015b;
lems to be present before the proliferation of betting advertis- Houghton & Moss, 2020; Johnston  et  al., 2015; Russell  et  al.,
ing started. 2018a; Xu et al., 2021). Overall, exposure to sports betting adver-
tising appears to be associated with higher intentions to gamble.
Four studies that utilized an experimental design and reported Four studies were cross-sectional, one study employed an experi-
significant associations between advertising and more positive mental method, and two studies used a longitudinal method that
responses to specific types of wagering requirements (Hing et al., required bettors to complete daily surveys over a 1-week period
2017; Lole  et  al., 2020; Rockloff  et  al., 2019; Roderique  et  al., (Russell et al., 2018) or a 3-week period (Browne et al., 2019).
2020). Hing et al. (2017) examined which elements and attributes
of mock advertisements that participants found most attractive. The studies asked participants if they intended betting within
There were four different advertising elements that were tested: a set time period, with the period ranging from over the next
three types of presenters (sports betting operators, match pre- 24 hours (Browne et al., 2019; Russell et al., 2018a), to two weeks
senter, and attractive non-expert presenter); four types of appeal (Hing  et  al., 2013, 2015b), the coming months (Xu  et  al., 2021),
(ease of placing the bet, sense of urgency, jovial, and neutral); and or 12 months (Johnston et al., 2015). The types of advertisements
three message formats (studio crossover, commentary, and on- studied included exposure to promotions during televised sport
screen display). They also examined the appeal of four bet types: (Hing  et  al., 2013, 2015b), live-odds during American football
a traditional bet on the match winner; a “risk free” bet where the league matches (Xu  et  al., 2021), and various advertisements
individual receives a refund if the team loses; an exotic bet on a and wagering inducements (Browne  et  al., 2019). One study
key event in that match which was which team will score first; used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys to collect
and a micro bet based on which team will receive the next penalty. data for actual direct advertising messages (email, text phone;
The commentator and bet type were rated as the most important Russell et al., 2018a).
feature being advertised. For commentator, the attractive “non-
expert” had the highest utility, and the “risk free” bet type was Those who self-reported higher exposure to advertising during
the most appealing attribute in the advertisements. televised sport reported higher intentions to gamble (Hing et al.,
2013, 2015b). Two studies used ecological monetary methods in
Lole et al. (2020) collected data utilizing eye-tracking and tonic order to reduce recall bias (Browne  et  al., 2019; Russell  et  al.,
electrodermal activity (skin conductance level), and subjective 2018a). Browne  et  al. (2019) reported that direct messaging
ratings of desire in response to advertisements (n = 59). A signifi- (rather than other forms of advertising) was positively asso-
cant relationship was identified between the type of inducement ciated with betting intentions in the sports betting group,
advertised and subjective ratings of desire, whereas eye-tracking although this effect was not found for race bettors. Russell et al.
fixation data (relative exposure) were not correlated with ratings (2018a) reported that receiving emails increased betting intent,
of desire. Non-gamblers were significantly less likely to desire for both sports bettors and race bettors, whereas no other form
the offers presented, in comparison to lower-risk and higher-risk of direct advertising increased intent.
gamblers. There was no significant difference in promotion desire
between lower-risk and higher-risk gamblers. Houghton and Moss (2020) conducted an experimental study with
145 regular sports bettors to examine how individuals respond
Roderique  et  al. (2020) (n = 60) presented different types of to social media sports betting advertisements and whether these
recorded video (sport vs. non-sport) containing gambling adver- responses differ depending on the social media account that the
tising or no gambling advertising. Sports students (compared to advertisements originated from (a sports betting operator or
non-sports students) reported the highest urges to gamble after affiliate account) and the complexity of the bet. The results indi-
exposure to a video of a televised football match containing cated that bettors were more likely to place a bet in the future if
embedded gambling promotion. Rockloff  et  al. (2019) reported the bet came from an affiliate account for medium-complexity
significant differences for attractiveness ratings between differ- bets.
ent types of wagering inducements, with better odds/winnings
found to be the most attractive incentive (n = 299). The authors Johnston  et  al. (2015) conducted an online survey (n = 511) to
found no significant differences based on problem gambling examine whether the perceived effects of sport sponsorship adver-
severity. tising were positively associated with intentions to gamble with
sponsors. The results demonstrated a significant relationship
The final study that examined sports betting advertisements between participants perceiving that sponsorship advertising had
and sports betting-related attitudes was a cross-sectional survey an effect on them and predicted the intention to use the spon-
by Hing  et  al. (2015b). The study examined how sports betting sorship product in the future. Betting frequency and sponsorship
promotions during televised sports influence gambling behavior exposure were also found to predict intentions to use the sponsor-
(n = 1000). The results indicated that a more positive attitude to ship product.
these gambling promotions and greater exposure during televised
sports were both positively associated with increased intended Xu et al. (2021) used qualitative comparative analysis to exam-
sports betting frequency in the next six months. Problem gam- ine whether live on-screen betting odds displayed during XFL
blers were found to hold more positive attitudes toward these (an American football league) could enhance gambling inten-
promotions compared to non-problem and low-risk gamblers. tions (n = 47). Live-odds portrayed in sports broadcasts through

208
 Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 8(3), 201-214
presenter commentaries, odds displayed on television, sponsored data for actual monetary betting spend (Browne  et  al., 2019;
segments, and visual displays at venues can be construed as Russell  et  al., 2019) and one EMA survey (Hing  et  al., 2019),
advertisements (Gainsbury & Blaszczynski, 2017). The perceived and data on the perceived influence and type of influence of
enjoyment of individuals when seeing live on-screen betting odds the wagering inducements and advertisements they had been
was found to be an important condition for both spectator enjoy- exposed to during the week.
ment and higher levels of gambling intention (Xu et al., 2021).
Several different findings were noted for the effect of advertis-
Three studies reported no association between betting intention ing on gambling behavior. Hing  et  al. (2015a) reported that in
and problem gambling status (Browne et al., 2019; Houghton et al., general, respondents disagreed that promotions during televised
2020; Russell  et  al., 2018a), whereas two studies reported prob- sport had increased their frequency, expenditure, and time spent
lem gambling status to be positively correlated with gambling on sport. However, problem gamblers reported an increase in
intentions (Hing  et  al., 2013, 2015b), and the intended betting frequency of gambling as a result of exposure to promotions.
frequency was predicted by a higher PGSI score and exposure to Similarly, Hing (2015b) reported that only the problem gambler
promotions. Two studies did not assess problem gambling status group self-reported that gambling promotions were positively
(Johnston et al., 2015; Xu et al., 2021). In addition, gambling inten- associated with gambling behavior (whereas the non-problem
tions were also related to gambling attitudes (Hing, 2013, 2015b). gambling group did not). Other research reports that those who
self-perceived gambling promotions to influence betting behavior
Sports Betting Advertising and Sports Betting Behaviors were more likely to have a higher PGSI score (Hing et al., 2017b;
The present review identified 12 studies examining the relation- Lopez-Gonzalez & Griffiths, 2019).
ship between gambling advertising and sports betting behavior
(Browne et al., 2019; Hing et al., 2013, 2015a, 2015b, 2017a, 2017b, In EMA studies, Browne  et  al. (2019) found that advertising
2018a, 2019; Lopez-Gonzalez & Griffiths, 2019; Rockloff  et  al., exposure was associated with sports betting behavior (n = 597).
2019; Russell  et  al., 2018a, 2019). Overall, the studies suggest a Hing  et  al. (2019) found direct messages and advertisements
positive relationship between exposure to gambling marketing on betting websites or apps to be the most influential on bet-
and gambling-related behavior. This appears to be highest for ting behaviors (n = 722). Russell et al. (2018a), found that direct
those with self-reported gambling problems. messaging (text messages) were positively associated with bet-
ting expenditure (n = 202). Russell  et  al. (2019) reported two
Eight studies used cross-sectional methods to assess the relation- predictors of engaging in micro-betting (betting in-play on micro
ship (Browne et al., 2019; Hing et al., 2013, 2015a, 2015b, 2017b, events) behaviors (n = 1813). Firstly, the self-report of watching
2018; Lopez-Gonzalez & Griffiths, 2019; Russell et al., 2019). Three sport (with embedded advertising) had a positive association with
studies conducted a longitudinal EMA to collect data during a betting behavior. Conversely, self-report of advertising exposure
1-week period (Hing et al., 2019; Russell et al., 2018a) and a three- showed a negative association.
week period (Browne  et  al., 2019), and two studies adopted an
experimental approach (Hing et al., 2017a; Rockloff et al., 2019). Hing  et  al. (2017a) presented fake advertisements
Most studies assessed exposure to sports betting promotions dur- (n = 611) containing various attributes, including the type of
ing televised sport (Hing et al., 2013, 2015a, 2015b, 2017b, 2018; presenter and wagering inducement type advertised. Bet type
Russell et al., 2019). Two EMA surveys collected data on expo- (risk-free) was the most persuasive message attribute when it
sure to various types of advertising and wagering inducements came to converting attention into the likelihood of placing a bet.
(Browne et al., 2019; Hing et al., 2019), whereas one study used Rockloff et al. (2019) showed a simulated sports highlights reel
EMA surveys to collect data for actual direct advertising mes- with four different inducement types. Longer (riskier) odds were
sages (email, text phone; Russell et al., 2018a). Two experimental more likely to be bet on when incentives were offered (n = 299).
studies used mock advertisements (Hing et al., 2017a) and simu- Hing et al. (2018) reported that less exposure to gambling-related
lated highlight reels for sporting events (Rockloff et al., 2019). marketing when exposed to the media was a significant factor
related to a higher number of bets placed before the start of a
Sports betting behavior was assessed in several ways, includ- match, but the authors added that there were relatively small
ing previous betting behavior, recent betting behavior, imme- correlations which may only have been significant because of
diate betting behavior, and response to betting inducements. the large sample size (n = 1813). More frequent sport-watching
These measures included self-reported betting behavior dur- (which contains embedded advertising) and less exposure to mar-
ing the previous 12 months (Hing  et  al., 2013, 2015a, 2018; keting when exposed to the media were related to a higher num-
Russell et al., 2019), the number of bets and the expenditure for ber of impulse bets being placed during a match.
the most recent sport gambled upon (Hing et al., 2015a), the self-
reported impact of gambling promotions on behavior, including Three studies compared the results between sports bettors and
the question “Would you bet right now?” (Hing  et  al., 2015b, race bettors (Browne et al., 2019; Hing et al., 2019; Russell et al.,
2017b; Lopez-Gonzalez & Griffiths, 2019), and the likelihood 2018). Some differences between the two groups were found. For
that participants would place a bet after watching an adver- example, Russell  et  al. (2018) reported differences between the
tisement containing particular attributes (Hing  et  al., 2017a). responses to exposure to promotions. For race bettors, receiving
Hing et al. (2019) examined the type of influence from wagering more refund stake offers and bonus odds were associated with
advertisements and inducements (e.g., bet larger amounts and placing a bet, whereas for sports bettors, receiving direct messages
more bets). Rockloff et al. (2019) assessed what type of bet the with no inducements, and more bonus winning and inducements,
participants placed (e.g., long or “riskier bet” vs. short odds) in were associated with placing a bet. Hing et al. (2019) found that
response to wagering requirements. Two EMA surveys collected race bettors were more likely to place riskier bets after exposure

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Killick & Griffiths. Sports Betting Advertising and Gambling Behavior
to wagering inducements, whereas the opposite was more likely television advertisements, gambling promotion embedded in tele-
for sports bettors. Browne et al. (2019) found that for race bettors vised sport, gambling operator websites, social media, and other
(but not sports bettors), advertising was associated with spending forms of marketing strategies. Measures of attitudes, intentions,
more than intended and betting when not intended. and sports betting behavior varied but largely relied on cross-sec-
tional self-report measures, and often developed their own defini-
Sports betting attitudes and intention have been found to be tions and measures in order to assess these features. Additionally,
positively associated with gambling behavior (Hing et al., 2013). many of the studies collected data using self-report of exposure to
One study found that lower intention to bet was associated with the media, which is accompanied by issues relating to validity and
a higher likelihood of actually betting for race bettors, but for reliability and can be subject to recall bias. For example, when
sports bettors there was no relationship between intention and it comes to self-reported general television exposure, individuals
betting behavior (Russell et al., 2018a). tend to under-report the viewing duration and over-report the
frequency of watching (Wonneberger & Irazoqui, 2016). Sports
Eight studies exclusively examined differences between problem
bettors can estimate exposure to advertising of various kinds, but
gambling categories (as assessed using the PGSI) and sports bet-
it is likely that these estimates are biased by recall errors, differ-
tors’ responses to advertising (Browne  et  al., 2019; Hing  et  al.,
ing interest in the products’ marketing, and other individual and
2015a, 2015b, 2017b, 2019; Lopez-Gonzalez & Griffiths, 2019;
psychological factors (Binde & Romilde, 2019).
Russell  et  al., 2018a, 2019). Problem gamblers in some of these
studies perceived that sports betting promotions increased
There are several issues with the studies included in this review.
their sports betting behavior, whereas other problem gambling
One notable area is the issue of causality, which is made worse
groups and non-problem gamblers did not (Hing, 2015a, 2015b).
by the limitations regarding the measure of advertising exposure.
Hing  et  al. (2017) reported that problem gamblers were more
Because advertising exposure is predominantly self-reported and
likely to perceive that advertising had a greater impact on their
based on factors such as the frequency of watching specific tele-
sports betting. Lopez-Gonzalez and Griffiths (2019) reported that
vised sports that contain gambling advertising and the amount
those with higher PGSI scores were more likely to report a higher
of attention paid to sports betting advertising, it is probable
perceived influence of sports betting advertising. Hing  et  al.
that engaging in sports betting determined exposure to advertis-
(2019) found that problem gamblers were more likely to report
ing (the attention paid to the adverts), or other factors (such as
being influenced by commentary promoting betting during live
preferences for sports shows), which when combined, determine
and televised events, and the promotion of betting brands during
exposure and sports betting behaviors. As Bouguettaya  et  al.
televised events. No significant differences between groups were
(2020) suggest, using standardized definitions and measurement
found for any other forms of advertising.
of advertising exposure and gambling behavior would aid in the
understanding of the causal mechanisms involved.
Some studies reported no significant differences between expo-
sure to advertising and sports betting behavior between PGSI
Some studies utilized a real-time and ecologically valid measure
groups (Browne  et  al., 2019; Hing  et  al., 2018). Rockloff  et  al.
of exposure to sports betting marketing through EMA, which
(2019) reported no differences between problem gamblers, at-
is suitable for capturing intermittent experiences in the real
risk gamblers, and non-problem gamblers in terms of the type
world, such as exposure to sports betting marketing. Ecological
of bet placed in response to wagering inducements. Russel et al.
momentary assessment can offer real-time tracking of expo-
(2018) found no statistically significant interaction with problem
sure and attitudes toward sports betting marketing closer to
gambling status, for both direct advertising messages and actual
the moment of exposure, instead of relying on retrospective
betting spend.
recall. However, a more reliable approach to study cause–
effect relationships is to use an experimental methodology
Discussion, Future Research, and Conclusion in order to examine the relationship between variables. This
allows researchers to control exposure to advertisements and
The present systematic review identified 22 studies that examined behavioral response data collected in response to advertising.
the impact of sports betting advertising on gambling attitudes, Two studies in the current review assessed exposure by collect-
intentions, and behaviors. All of the papers have been published ing eye-tracking data, which allows for the measure of poten-
in the past 10 years, 16 of which were published in the past 3 tial, actual (total number of fixations), relative (the amount of
years. The majority of studies that have been published to date visual attention related to the total amount of time the infor-
have been conducted in Australia. An analysis of the results shows mation was available), and the perceived exposure to gambling
that exposure to sports betting-related advertising and advertis- advertisements (Binde et al., 2014).
ing of wagering inducements is generally associated with more
positive gambling-related attitudes, greater gambling intentions, As Lole  et  al. (2020) note that in their research, although eco-
and increases in gambling and problem gambling behavior, mir- logically valid stimuli were used, the results were still collected
roring the findings of Bougeuttaya et al. (2020), who assessed the in a laboratory setting and were therefore subject to associated
impact of advertising across all types of gambling activity rather biases, including participant fatigue and lack of external validity.
than focus on sports betting advertising only. Additionally, the media channels for advertising were limited to
what could be shown there and then (as opposed to receiving direct
Many studies demonstrated significant effects across a range of messages, for example). Some of the studies controlled the type
different exposure variables and outcome measures. These mea- of advertisement that was shown to the participant, either using
sures included exposure to direct advertising (text/email/phone), real events that contained advertising (i.e., pre-recorded televised

210
 Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 8(3), 201-214
sporting events) (Roderique et al., 2020), specially designed mock moderate-risk, and non-problem gamblers did not. One explana-
advertisements (Hing et al., 2017a), or simulated highlight reels tion is that problem gamblers, and active sports bettors, watch
(Rockloff et al., 2019). One obvious benefit includes a high level televised sport more regularly and are therefore exposed to sports
of control over the advertising variables being studied. betting gambling more often (Hing et al., 2015b). However, one
issue is that due to self-report measures, it may be the case that
Several inducement types were found to be more attractive than problem gamblers attempt to attribute their problems to external
others. The inducement type that was cited most often as being factors, rather than report the actual effect of these promotions
the most popular for sports bettors was the “risk-free” or reduced on sports betting behavior (Hing et al., 2015).
risk inducement (Hing et al, 2017a, 2019a; Lole et al., 2019). Other
inducements that were reported as popular with sports bettors Advertising exposure may result in impulses to gamble (Binde,
were cashback offers, bonus bets, and better odds. To date, there 2007, 2009), and in the present review, problem gamblers consid-
has been little research into how these wagering promotions ered contextual factors (e.g., the promotion of sports betting) that
influence betting behavior. In the present review, sports betting were more likely to lead to them making impulse bets, compared
inducements resulted in several changes in behavior, including to non-problem gamblers (Hing et al., 2014c, 2015a, 2018). Sports
placing bets on longer (riskier) odds, placing bets on impulse betting marketing and inducements delivered via direct messages
during matches, or increasing the likelihood of betting when not such as email and SMS were found to increase the likelihood of
planned. However, the causes for these behaviors remain unclear. impulsive sports betting online (Hing  et  al., 2017b), and indi-
viduals who used wagering inducements more frequently had a
Research on sports betting advertising has previously focused on greater tendency to place in-play bets, particularly problem gam-
marketing during televised sporting events, television commer- blers and those who watched sports more frequently (Hing et al.,
cial break advertisements, and advertising at stadiums. Recently, 2018). Exposure to indirect marketing, such as live-odds being
there has been a shift in focus toward the type of advertising, announced during live sports events, would make individuals
including the effects of communication methods such as direct more likely to place impulse bets in response, and this effect was
messages, which the present review reported to influence sports greater for those scoring higher on problem gambling measures
betting behavior (Hing et al., 2019; Russell et al., 2018a). Studying (Lamont et al., 2016). However again, due to the cross-sectional
direct messages using EMA allows researchers to measure the design, it is not possible to ascertain causal directions.
volume, content, and the bettors’ self-reported responses to these
messages. Direct messages may contribute to problem gambling The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA, 2018), developed
in several ways, including (i) being delivered straight to the bet- guidelines stating that betting companies in the UK should not
tors, with a link to a betting website/app, which may in turn pressure individuals to gamble, especially through the use of sig-
facilitate impulse betting and betting more money than planned; nificant time-limited offers that create an unjustifiable sense of
(ii) using inducements that are effective in encouraging increased urgency, as this may pressure individuals to take part or place
betting expenditure and riskier betting (on bets with longer a bet when they otherwise would not have done so. Gambling
odds); and (iii) higher numbers of direct messages being delivered operators have been previously found to promote wagering
to those with a higher number of wagering accounts, resulting inducements in a way that may encourage impulsive betting. For
in vulnerable bettors being exposed to more gambling cues and example, Newall et al. (2019) found that gambling companies use
inducements (Hing et al., 2018). tactics to make wagering promotions appear more “urgent” than
necessary, for example using improved or “boosted” odds, which
The present review found that in general, problem gamblers held
were restricted by a time frame in which they were offered.
more positive attitudes toward the advertising and promotion
of sports betting than non-problem gamblers, and those most
Researchers suggest that the promotion of gambling has become
likely to be encouraged to gamble from viewing advertisements
embedded within specific sporting events, a process that been
also appeared to be problem gamblers. Research into other risky
referred to as the “gamblification” of sport (McMullan, 2011).
products, such as alcohol, has indicated a greater behavioral
One concern is that marketing is being carried out in such a way
response when attitudes to advertisements were positive (e.g.
that it encourages consumers to think of gambling as a sport
Dormal  et  al., 2018). Additionally, problem gamblers tended to
(Hing et al., 2014). It has been suggested that this can normal-
report watching the highest number of sports-embedded gambling
ize and encourage gambling commencement from a young age
programs. Research into other gambling types has shown that
(Monaghan et al., 2008). It is known that problem gambling can
problem gamblers are more aware of gambling advertisements
cause serious risks to an individual’s health, finances, and social
than non-problem gamblers (Hanss et al., 2015), or recall having
situation, and that problem gambling can also impact the gam-
seen more gambling advertising than non-problem gamblers (e.g.,
bler’s families and local communities (Griffiths, 2004). Although
Clemens et al., 2017; Fried et al., 2010). Gamblers may be attracted
there has been a proliferation of gambling research focusing
to gambling advertising because of the emotions, thoughts, and
on the individual factors that may be attributed to the acquisi-
impulses that it produces among those who already have an active
tion and development (and minimization) of problem gambling,
interest in gambling (Binde, 2007). Alternatively, more highly
there is much less research concerning the external factors that
involved gamblers are more exposed to sports-embedded gam-
may lead to problem gambling. In the UK, there are now newly
bling promotions, which can result in them having more favorable
introduced regulations for specific aspects of the marketing for
attitudes toward sports betting (Hing et al., 2015a).
gambling products. For example, advertised “money back” offers
In some cases, problem gamblers perceived that sports betting must now be paid in cash, rather than as free bets (Committee of
promotions increased their gambling behavior, whereas low-risk, Advertising Practice, 2018). However, this is not the case for more

211
Killick & Griffiths. Sports Betting Advertising and Gambling Behavior
novel forms of online gambling such as sports betting, and its total (EveryMatrix, 2020). The research report by EveryMatrix
associated in-play features such as “cash-out” products (allowing (2020) found that 10% of sports bettors who were no longer gam-
sports bettors the option to settle a bet before the event they are bling due to the lockdown had now made the transition to e-sports
betting on is over) (Lopez-Gonzalez & Griffiths, 2017). However, betting, which offers similar markets to traditional sports betting.
adverts that encourage sports bettors to “bet now” during live The UK Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) have pub-
sporting events are in the process of being restricted in the UK lished advice in relation to adverts on social media for e-sports
(CAP, 2017). betting, including that e-sports-betting-related advertising must
comply with the rules which apply to other forms of gambling
Despite an increase in research into the content and influence of advertising. Furthermore, on social media, it must be made clear
sports betting marketing in recent years, there has been a lack from the context that it is an advertisement. This is therefore an
of longitudinal and experimental research examining the rela- area that may require research in the future.
tionship between sports betting advertising and sports betting-
related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Many of the studies Overall, the influence of sports betting marketing on the atti-
examined advertising during televised sport. However, only one tudes, intentions, and behaviors of sports bettors appears to be
study examining social media sports betting promotion met strongest among those who score higher on measures of prob-
the criteria for the present review. This is an important area lem gambling severity. Further research should be undertaken
for future research, given that social media marketing spend is to understand the impact of gambling advertising on sports
increasing, and figures have shown that in the UK, this form of betting behavior among different groups and across different
marketing has emerged as one of the fasted growing in recent types of exposure, to enable informed policy and regulation of
years (GambleAware, 2018). Additionally, one quarter of online online sports betting advertising. With an increase in knowledge
gamblers follow a gambling company on social media (Gambling concerning different types of gambling, there will be a greater
Commission, 2019). understanding of how marketing strategies play a role in chang-
ing sports betting attitudes and the subsequent behaviors. As a
Although there has been an increase in experimental research in result, policy and regulatory requirements can be formulated to
the last few years, there is still a heavy reliance on self-reported ensure that they are effective in preventing any harmful or poten-
data. Behavioral tracking data could be combined with self- tially harmful consumption of these products.
report surveys to objectively monitor and examine individual
gambling behaviors on websites, or using econometric estimates Peer Review: Externally peer-reviewed.
based on real-world events (such as the Italian gambling adver-
Author Contributions: Concept - E.A.K., M.D.G.; Design - E.A.K.,
tising ban). Further longitudinal research is required to exam-
M.D.G.; Supervision - M.D.G.; Data Collection and/or Processing -
ine the cause and effect relationship between the exposure to E.A.K.; Analysis and/or Interpretation - E.A.K., M.D.G.; Literature
sports betting advertising and the sports betting behavior and Review - E.A.K.; Writing - E.A.K.; Critical Review - E.A.K.
gambling-related problems. Similarly, whereas differences have
been noted in the effects of different wagering inducements on Conflict of Interest: The first author declares that she has no competing
betting behavior, and theoretical reasons why wagering adver- interests. The second author has received funding for some research pro-
tisements and inducements might affect betting behavior have jects in the area of gambling education for young people, social responsi-
been suggested, particularly for high-risk problem gamblers, as bility in gambling and gambling treatment from Gamble Aware (formerly
the Responsibility in Gambling Trust), a charitable the body which funds
with sports betting advertising in general, empirical research has
its research program based on donations from the gambling industry. The
largely relied on self-reported cross-sectional data.
second author also undertakes consultancy for various gaming compa-
nies in the area of social responsibility in gambling.
The present review identified that much of the research to date has
been conducted using an Australian sample, and as a result, the Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study has received
findings should be viewed with some caution. There is a paucity in no financial support.
research conducted in countries where sports betting and associ-
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