The U.S. online gambling industry has rapidly expanded, driving large revenue growth and shifting gambling from brick‑and‑mortar venues to mobile platforms. Intense competition among operators has spurred heavy marketing, aggressive promotional offers, and innovation, while convenient smartphone access and changing consumer preferences have boosted player engagement.
Given these trends, a group of researchers decided to explore the impact of sports-related gambling advertisements on gambling behavior through a systematic review of the current literature.
Research Focus and Findings
The review included 22 studies, most of them conducted in Australia and other first world nations, that examined the effects of multiple forms of sports-related gambling advertisements, including traditional media, digital, and aggregate forms, on gambling behavior.
The study noted that sports gambling advertisements led to increased gambling spending, increased likelihood of unplanned gambling, increased frequency of gambling, and increased riskiness of types of bets placed. Furthermore, the review concluded that gambling advertisements may have greater effects among higher-risk gamblers.
Insights for Arkansas
Recently, two large sports companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, have been granted sports wagering vendor licenses in Arkansas. Both companies are increasing their advertisements in the state.
Previous literature has shown that gambling can lead to great societal harms, including increases in loss of employment, bankruptcy, relationship breakdown, health-related issues such as alcohol use and depression, and even suicide. Given these potential negative effects, gambling can be considered a public health issue.
As gambling opportunities and advertising in Arkansas increase, policymakers should consider monitoring advertising practices and using gambling-related increases in tax revenue to offset the potential negative consequences of gambling through efforts such as educational programs or gambling addiction treatment.
