Exposure to Gambling Advertising in Young People
Updated: Jan 2
Exposure to advertising in Young People
The Young People and Gambling Survey 2020 reported that in 11-16 year old school students in England and Scotland (n=1645), 58% were exposed to gambling advertising or sponsorship
48% were exposed to ads on TV, 26% were not, and 26% did not know
41% were exposed to ads linked to sports events, 31% were not, and 28% did not know
37% were exposed to gambling adverts on social media, 36% were not, and 27% did not know
37% are exposed to gambling adverts (other) online or other websites, 36% were not, and 28% did not know
32% were exposed to sponsorships in sports venues, 38% were not, and 31% did not know
30% were exposed to TV or radio programmes sponsored by a gambling company, 38% were not, and 32% did not know
31% were exposed to ads on posters/billboards, 40% were not, and 29% did not know
29% were exposed to gambling adverts on live streaming or video-sharing platforms, 42% were not, and 29% did not know
25% were exposed to ads in newspapers, 42% were not, and 33% did not know
Higher rates of exposure were reported in the Young People Gambling Report 2019 of 11-16 year old school students in Great Britain (n=2,943). The 2019 study found that 69% were exposed to gambling advertising or sponsorship and it also reported on the frequency (base: all 11-16 year olds, seen at least once a week)
58% were exposed to ads on TV (32.5%)
50% were exposed to ads linked to sports events (23.5%)
49% were exposed to social media websites (23.0%)
43% were exposed to other websites (excluding social media) (19.4%)
42% were exposed to sponsorships on TV or radio (20.6%)
38% were exposed to sponsorships in sports venues (17.5%)
37% were exposed to ads on posters/billboards (13.3%)
30% were exposed to ads in newspapers (10.8%)
Other results on exposure to advertising in Young People
85% of 11-24 year olds reported seeing gambling advertising on TV (including national lottery adverts)
70% of 11-24 year olds noticed gambling adverts in betting shops on the high street, window displays as well as promotions on shop floors and near tills
66% of 11-24 year olds reported seeing gambling promotions on their social media channels
12% of 11-16 year olds follow gambling companies on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram
21 Sky Bet Championship football clubs have a gambling sponsor or partner
Advertising spend in 2017 (2014)
Total advertising spend in UK £22.2bn (£18.6bn)
GB Gambling industry advertising spend: £1.561bn, 7.0% (£1.003bn, 5.4%) GB, spend grew by 55.6% over 2014 and 2017
Online Marketing e.g. banner ads, paid search: £0.747bn (£0.400bn)
Affiliates e.g. relationships with content providers: £0.301bn, 54.3% (£0.282bn)
Television e.g. advertising, programme sponsorship: £0.234bn (£0.155bn)
Social Media e.g. Facebook content, commercial Twitter feed £0.149bn (0.042bn)
Sponsorship e.g. football shirts, horse races £0.060bn (£0.03bn)
Other offline advertising e.g. print newspaper ads, billboards £0.070bn (0.094bn)
We estimate that the GB gambling industry spent:
54.3% of all affiliate advertising spend in 2017 (£0.301bn/£0.55bn)
10.4% of all online advertising spend in 2017 (£1.197bn/£11.55bn)
7.0% and 5.4% of all advertising spend in 2017 and 2014, respectively (relative growth of 30% in 3 years)
4.6% of all television advertising spend in 2017 (£0.234bn/£5.11bn)
NB: These figures and estimates represent the GB gambling industry expenditure and do not include the amounts spent by foreign betting companies in Great Britain.
Summary
At least 1/3 of 11-16 year olds are exposed to gambling ads or sponsorships at least once per week
Young people are expected to be most exposed to gambling advertisements or sponsorships while online (via social media, video-streaming platforms, other websites, and affiliates)
1/3 of 11-16 year olds were exposed to gambling ads on TV at least once a week
1/4 of 11-16 year olds were exposed to gambling ads on social media at least once a week
Advertising bans, that aim to reduce gambling advertisement exposure in young people, are expected to be limited in effectiveness unless they are comprehensive and cover all mediums