The Gambling Commission of Great Britain has published survey data intended to analyze the effect and scope of gambling advertising, which revealed that a third of gamblers claimed marketing influenced their spending in 2020.

The Gambling Commission polled 6,258 people to get data on the influence of gambling advertising on customer behavior. 34 percent of the 4,566 respondents who had been active gamblers in the previous 12 months indicated that a post or media had encouraged them to use their money for gambling during that time period.

With 22 percent of gamblers reported doing so, money to spend with a gaming provider or free bets were the most probable causes to entice a consumer to gamble.

Direct marketing, sports sponsorships, and newspaper advertising encouraged 9%, 8%, and 7% of gamblers respectively.

Social media and Television advertising had each motivated 15% of gamblers to bet in the previous 12 months.

The Gambling Commission also inquired of individuals who reported viewing gambling advertisements how such advertisements had affected their gambling habits.

13.0 percent claimed such commercials caused them to begin gambling for the first time. 16.3 percent said they increased the amount they gambled.

An additional 14.7 percent were persuaded to resume gambling after halting the pastime as a result of these advertisements. Also, 10.1 percent claimed the advertisements influenced them to modify their gambling habits or explore a new type of gaming.

Free bets or money to spend with a gambling firm were found to be the most successful new customer acquisition strategy, with 25.9 percent of those who gambled in the previous 12 months and saw postings or advertisements saying that free bets motivated them to start gambling for the first time.

According to the Gambling Commission, free bets had the lowest proportion of replies indicating they had not affected the amount of money that respondents gambled, at only 35.2 percent.

With current or discontinued consumers, direct marketing by email, text message, or push notification seemed to be more successful. It was identified by 21.8 percent of gamblers as encouraging them to raise the amount they bet. It also caused the greatest number of respondents, 19.6 percent, to resume gambling after a hiatus.

The most popular medium for doing so was Facebook, with 11% of respondents indicating they followed a gaming firm on the network.

According to the Gambling Commission, this study confirms what it already knows: playing advertising has a broad reach, encompassing existing gamblers as well as lapsed or non-gamblers who may be persuaded to start gambling.

The survey was divided into three sections, which were administered in March, June, and September of 2020. It was part of a larger survey performed by Yonder for the Gambling Commission, which included a variety of gambling-related topics.

A recent publication from the same study revealed how wagering habits have shifted in the midst of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic. According to the report, the increase in mobile betting has slowed, but esports betting has grown significantly.