Impact of Sports Betting Advertising on Gambling Behavior: A Systematic Review

In the UK and elsewhere, the volume of gambling advertising is increasing, as is the popularity of sports betting. Through a systematic review, the available literature was synthesized to identify the ways in which sports betting advertising influences sports betting attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. A total of 22 studies were identified and included in the review. Overall, the marketing of sports betting was found to have a positive relationship with sports betting attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. This relationship appears to be the strongest among high-risk problem gamblers. Some marketing strategies elicited greater behavioral responses, for example, direct messages. There was also a difference in preference for the advertised wagering inducements between problem gambling groups. Although there has been a recent increase in experimental methodologies examining sports betting marketing, to date, empirical research has been largely limited to self-reported cross-sectional data.