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. 2023 May 16;12(2):557-570.
doi: 10.1556/2006.2023.00020. Print 2023 Jun 29.

Gambling advertising on Twitter before, during and after the initial Australian COVID-19 lockdown

Alex M T Russell  1 , Nerilee Hing  2 , Gabrielle Maria Bryden  2 , Hannah Thorne  3 , Matthew J Rockloff  2 , Matthew Browne  2
Affiliations

Gambling advertising on Twitter before, during and after the initial Australian COVID-19 lockdown

Alex M T Russell et al. J Behav Addict. .

Abstract

Background and aims: COVID-19 resulted in the shutdown of almost all sporting competitions and most venue-based gambling opportunities. This study examines how wagering operators in Australia responded, by examining their advertising.

Methods: The study compared Twitter activity during lockdown (March-May 2020) to the previous year for four major wagering operators.

Results: Wagering operators continued to advertise in earnest, changing their marketing mix to include more race betting content, as races continued to operate. Most also promoted the only sports available, such as table tennis or esports. When sports resumed, sports betting advertising quickly returned to normal, or exceeded previous levels. Despite more content being available in the case of two operators, engagement from the public during lockdown was similar to or lower than previously.

Discussion and conclusion: These results indicate that gambling operators can adjust quickly to major changes. These shifts appear to have been successful, with the increase in race betting during this period almost completely offsetting the decreases in sports betting. This is likely due in part to changes in advertising, which have been associated with increased betting activity, particularly amongst vulnerable people. Responsible gambling messages were virtually non-existent on Twitter, which contrasts with mandatory requirements in other media. The study highlights that regulatory changes to advertising, e.g., banning some content, are likely to be met with substitution of content, rather than reduction, unless advertising volume is also capped. The study also highlights the adaptive capacity of the gambling industry in the face of major disruption to supply.

Keywords: COVID-19; Twitter; advertising; gambling.

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Conflict of interest statement

Alex Russell has received funding from Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation; New South Wales Office of Responsible Gambling; South Australian State Government; Queensland Justice and Attorney-General; Gambling Research Australia; New Zealand Ministry of Health; Australian Communications and Media Authority; National Association for Gambling Studies and the Alberta Gambling Research Institute. He has had travel expenses paid to present research by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, PsychMed and the Hawthorn Hawks Football Club Players' Association. He is also affiliated with the University of Sydney and Deakin University. He declares no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript.

Nerilee Hing has received funding from numerous government sources, including: Gambling Research Australia, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, the Victorian Department of Justice, the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund and NSW Office of Responsible Gambling, the New Zealand Ministry of Health, the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General, the South Australian Independent Gambling Authority, the ACT Gaming and Racing Commission, the Australian Research Council, Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety, and the Australian Media and Communications Authority. She has also been sub-contracted to assist with research projects conducted by Ogilvy Research, ORC International, First Person Consulting, and the First Nations Foundation. Prior to the past five years, Professor Hing received funds to conduct unpublished annual surveys for the Echo/Star Entertainment Group (2011–16) to measure gambling and gambling problems amongst their staff. In 2013, she conducted an unpublished review of Sportsbet's responsible gambling framework for online wagering. She declares that she has no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript.

Gabrielle Bryden has received funding from the Commonwealth Government through the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) Scholarship. She declares no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript.

Hannah Thorne has received funding from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, New South Wales Office of Responsible Gambling, and Gambling Research Australia. She declares no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript.

Matthew Rockloff has received research funds from Gambling Research Australia, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Queensland Treasury, Victorian Treasury, NSW Responsible Gambling Fund, NSW Office of Liquor & Gaming, Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance, New Zealand Ministry of Health, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Alberta Gambling Research Institute and the First Nations Foundation. He declares no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript.

Matthew Browne has received research funds from the Gambling Research Australia, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, New South Wales Office of Responsible Gambling, Queensland Government Department of Health, South Australian Government, Australian Department of Social Services, and the New Zealand Ministry of Health. He declares no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Number of tweets per week by four gambling operators before, during and after COVID-19 lockdown
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Content of tweets per week before, during and after COVID-19 lockdown – BetEasy
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Content of tweets per week before, during and after COVID-19 lockdown – Ladbrokes
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Content of tweets per week before, during and after COVID-19 lockdown- Sportsbet
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Content of tweets per week before, during and after COVID-19 lockdown – TAB
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
User engagement with tweets per week before, during and after COVID-19 lockdown – All operators
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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