Wednesday 3 August 2022 01:33 AM Bookies boosted the number of ads by as much as 50 per cent during winter ... trends now
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Bookmakers boosted advertising by up to 50 per cent in the winter lockdowns putting problem gamblers at risk, two academic papers have found.
Researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Stirling found firms cut advertising spending in the first lockdown, but then came ‘roaring back with a vengeance’ despite acknowledging the ‘many people cut off and feeling anxious’.
The study found the amount spent on advertising has climbed to new highs in 2021, compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The study found that bookmakers increased the amount they spent on advertising by 49 per cent during the November 2020 lockdown, to £10.3million per week.
And in the third lockdown, between January and March 2021, marketing spend was six per cent higher at £7.6million per week.
The jump came despite a pledge from the largest firms to slash advertising in the first lockdown, in April and May, which critics labelled a ‘public relations exercise’.
Bookmakers boosted advertising by up to 50 per cent in the winter lockdowns putting problem gamblers at risk, two academic papers have found. Pictured: a fixed odds betting terminal
At the time the Betting and Gaming Council,