Australians Ever More Determined to See Gambling Ads Gone

According to the survey, three in four Australians gambled at least once in the past 12 months, with 38% doing so on weekly basis. At least half of the people who participated in gambling were considered to be at risk of developing a deeper issue with the hobby, the study said.

New Survey Takes on Gambling and Advertising Attitudes

To reach these results, the survey interviewed 1,765 people and examined how advertising can have a bearing on people’s decisions to gamble. The study argues that gambling advertisements may in fact push people to riskier behavior, increasing their chance of suffering gambling-related harm.

In justifying these findings, the survey simply presented its data. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, 21% of all Australians were prompted to start betting because of a gambling ad. Because of ongoing advertisements, 28% would try a new form of gambling, and 29% said that advertisements made their bet on impulse.

The report is looking to collaborate with the government and ensure that there is a sufficient political initiative to regulate advertisements in a way that they no longer pose a threat to consumers and protect them from gambling harm. Consumer attitude also reflected on the nation’s desire to change and alter the gambling advertisement paradigms.

For example, 77% of all respondents said that there were too many opportunities to place a bet. Another 68% argued that gambling could pose serious threats to family life, and 59% even stated outright that wagering should be actively discouraged. Apart from collecting people’s opinions on the prevalence of gambling as such, the survey also looked into how people felt about advertisements.

Ads Ruin the Experience for Gambling Fans

For example, 69% of all respondents argued that there were too many gambling ads, and that, they were too common. Another 53% argued that because of how prevalent these ads had become, they normalized gambling for children, influencing young adults and adolescents to one day start betting. Not only that, but 46% of people said that gambling advertisements had decreased their enjoyment of watching sports broadcasts.

While there is still a strong cohort arguing that gambling advertisements should not be banned on linear and digital media, the overwhelming majority oppose ads outright. 53% are calling for a ban on TV and another 47% support the same for digital media.