80% of the UK Gambling Advertising is Now Spent Online
According to the data from the recently released financial report of the gambling specialists Regulus Partners, the UK gambling companies are now spending 80% of their marketing budget on online advertising. A few weeks ago, the popular charity GambleAware made the financial analysis publicly available and revealed that on the contrary of everyone’s expectations, in 2017, the UK gambling brands have spent £747 million on direct online internet marketing. The number is not only concerningly high, but it also demonstrates that the industry is now spending 50% more than in 2014.
Further statistics show that gambling companies have spent £301 million on ‘affiliates’, £149 million on social media, and only £243 million on TV advertising. After a detailed analysis of the information, it becomes clear that the UK gambling industry, with the exception of the lottery, has spent £1.16 billion on online advertising, casino affiliate, sponsorship and social media. More and more people search for the best lottery tickets to buy in the UK, because the online gambling scene is constantly growing. Meanwhile, the lottery’s budget demonstrated much more limitations with only £22 million in internet marketing funds. Casinos are also growing by supporting a multitude of payment methods. We have curated a list of Citizen casinos.
This Might be Harmful to Adolescents
The recently released statistics show not only a great and effective marketing strategy but also possible negative consequences for young adults. For years, there has been an active debate regarding the amount of advertising by gambling companies and the effect that it could have on people. Nevertheless, the recent figures have raised the concerns of gambling charities as some believe that aggressive advertising may lead to a rise of gambling addiction problems. GambleAware’s CEO Mark Etches made an official statement claiming that:
“Children are growing up in a very different world than their parents. The Gambling Commission reports that 59% of 11-16-year-olds have seen gambling advertisements on social media, compared to 66% on television. One in eight 11 to 16-year-olds follow gambling companies on social media, and they are three times more likely to spend money on gambling. Of those who have ever played online gambling-style games, 24% follow gambling companies online.”
The concerns are justified by the fact that according to the information handled by the charity organisation the rate of gambling among young people is much higher than the rate of consumption of alcohol and cigarettes. Thus, based on the recent reports, gambling must be treated as a public health issue. GambleAware further suggests that internet companies and social media platforms much share the responsibility to protect children from allegedly harmful online gambling for their age and to provide them with the necessary advice to prevent further addiction.
In order to visually illustrate the rise of investments in gambling advertising and marketing for the period of 2014-2017, Regulus Partners have released an official infographic where all spending on advertising made by the gambling industry could be easily followed. The information could be used as a reference for further reports of the gambling industry and as an instrument for building an adequate strategy to alienate children and adolescents from the long list of UK-licensed online casinos.
