A new survey from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has found that more than 30% of UK players said that ads had encouraged them to gamble.
The new survey, which measures the impact and reach of gambling advertisements on customer behaviour in 2020, was published this week and surveyed 6,258 respondents, 4,566 of which had gambled in the last 12 months. The survey was conducted in three parts in March, June, and September 2020 by Yonder.
Of those that had gambled in the last year, 34% said that advertising in the form of a post or media had encouraged them to gamble within that period. A further 22% said that the most likely marketing technique to push them to gamble were free bets or money to spend with a gambling company.
The UK Gambling Commission also found that 15% of those who had gambled in the last 12 months were encouraged by social media, while 9% were influenced by direct marketing, 8% were pushed by sports sponsorships, and 7% were encouraged by newspaper advertising.
As part of the survey, the regulator asked respondents who had seen gambling ads how viewing them had changed their habits. Just over 52% of those who gambled in the last 12 months said the ads they saw had not changed how much they spent on gambling.
However, around 16.3% of respondents said that gambling ads caused them to increase the money they spent on gambling for the first time, while 14.7% said the ads caused them to return to gambling after taking a break from it. Finally, 10% of respondents said that viewing gambling ads changed what they gambled on or encouraged them to try a new type of gambling.
The Commission’s survey also found that 85% of respondents said they had seen gambling advertising or sponsorship. In total, 83% said they had seen general gambling advertising while 78% had seen sponsorship, figures down from the 2019 survey.
According to the survey, television advertisements was the most widely seen for gambling, followed by gambling sponsorships on television, and then radio and podcasts. Respondents also reported seeing gambling advertisements or sponsorships in sports venues, on the internet, and on sports merchandise too.
As reported by iGamingBusiness, the people who are most likely to see gambling advertisements are those who had gambled in the last four weeks, and the Commission’s survey found that young people are more likely to see gambling advertisements online as 77% of those aged 18 to 24 saw gambling ads online, while only 55% of those aged 65 and over viewed online ads.
The Commission has said that the data reinforces its beliefs that gambling advertising has a wide rich that includes current gamblers and lapsed or non-gamblers. It also stated that the data does not suggest an increase in gambling due to Covid-19, but the Commission stressed that gambling operators should remain vigilant to the risks of ad exposure to different groups.
Also this week, game developer Spearhead Studios has announced a licensing agreement with American golfer John Daly.
Under the brand new licensing agreement, Spearhead Studios will develop a series of video slots based on the professional golfer, with the first game set to release later this year.
The studio hopes that they can build a bridge between sportsbook and casino content with the new slot series by providing gambling operators with an acquisition tool to target sports fans.
John Daly, a two-time golf champion, said in a statement to InterGameOnline: “Sports and iGaming share a passion for creative entertainment which I deeply appreciate, so this is a great opportunity for me to endorse both.
“I’m excited to see how Spearhead Studios turns this game series into reality, and, as a passionate slot player, I can’t wait to take it for a spin.”
Mathias Larsson, the Managing Director at Spearhead Studios, added: “I am a passionate golfer myself and have followed John Daly since his PGA Championship win in 1991. He is an incredible golf player and a major character on the PGA Tour.
“This will be one of the first branded online casino games with a sports star and the first game with a golf player. It will be a very exciting journey and I’m confident the end result will be amazing.”
Also this week, leading game developer Pragmatic Play has been given the approval to launch its games in the City of Buenos Aires.
The developer has been given approval by the city’s regulatory authority LOTBA, allowing the company to launch its entire portfolio of casino games , including slots and live titles, with service operators, effectively expanding its reach worldwide.
Victor Arias, the Vice President of Latin America at Pragmatic Play, said in a statement: “We’re very pleased to receive our LOTBA authorisation allowing us to provide our products in Buenos Aires City.
“It’s an important step for us as we look to continue our expansion in Latin America, and we can’t wait to bring our top-performing games to players in Buenos Aires City.”
The news comes after Pragmatic Play launched its bingo rooms with BetVictor, after the company was given the approval to launch its live casino content in Colombia, and after Pragmatic Play launched a dedicated live casino studio for the Kindred Group, the owners of gambling websites Unibet and 32Red.
Meanwhile, Pragmatic Play has been released new content, including Lucky Lightning, Dragon Hot Hold & Spin, Heart Of Rio, Panda’s Fortune 2, The Magic Cauldron: Enchanted Brew, and so many others.
