IAGR2025 session:
The Global Challenge of Regulating Gambling Advertising in Sports: Insights from Multi-Continental Studies
As gambling advertising becomes increasingly embedded in sports, regulators worldwide face growing challenges in balancing industry interests with consumer protection. This presentation highlights findings from multiple studies we conducted, analysing gambling marketing across soccer (Premier League, UEFA Euro 2024), basketball (NBA), ice hockey (NHL), rugby, and cricket, examining its prevalence, regulatory gaps, and potential policy responses.
Our research, conducted across the UK, US, Canada (Ontario), South Africa, and Europe, investigates gambling advertising across live sports broadcasts, news coverage, radio, and social media platforms. Findings reveal the significant scale and reach of gambling marketing, for example, with 29,145 gambling messages recorded during the UK’s 2024 Premier League opening weekend alone — a 165% increase from 2023, despite additional regulations. In Canada, gambling logos were visible for over a fifth of NHL and NBA match broadcasts, while social media gambling promotions generated millions of impressions. In the US, 58% of sports betting ads on social media were not clearly identifiable as advertising, posing challenges for transparency and consumer protection. Meanwhile, emerging data from South Africa highlights the growing integration of gambling sponsorships across major sports, including cricket, rugby and soccer.
These findings suggest that current regulatory measures seem insufficient in reducing the volume of gambling marketing — as well as its associated harms relating to high exposure. While efforts such as advertising codes and self-regulation exist, they struggle to keep pace with evolving marketing strategies, particularly in digital spaces. This presentation will outline key regulatory challenges, international case studies, and potential strategies for enhancing oversight, transparency, and harm reduction. By fostering a dialogue between researchers and policymakers, this session aims to support the development of evidence-based, adaptive regulatory approaches that can better address the complexities of gambling marketing in sports.
About Raffaello:
Dr Raffaello Rossi is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Marketing at the University of Bristol, specialising in the nexus of social media marketing, public policy, and consumer protection. His work on the effects of gambling advertising on youth, as well as international work on gambling sponsorships during sporting events has garnered significant attention, leading to widespread coverage in both national and international media outlets. His research findings have sparked discussions in the UK Parliament and the Canadian Senate, informing reforms in the regulation of gambling marketing
