Gambling industry strategies - Australia

[Haji 2003]

Copies the Alcohol industry

Click link below for the full article

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The gambling industry has learned from and adapted this playbook. Alongside the more visible media advertising, celebrity endorsements, sponsorship activities and a range of other tactics are used. 

These include political donations (in the millions of dollars over the past 20 years), hiring lobby firms and even hosting lavish birthday lunches for our politicians. 

Similar to big alcohol and tobacco, the gambling industry also funds research. It distorts and contests the findings of studies that link their marketing to health and social harms. 

And as we see currently with the debate about what impact a ban on gambling advertising will have on free-to-air media, the alcohol and tobacco industries and media companies aligned their interests to protect revenue.

https://theconversation.com/big-alcohol-and-tobacco-are-the-aces-of-strategic-marketing-the-gambling-industry-has-adopted-the-playbook-236777

[Haji 2003]

Academic study finds gambling normalisation in Australia

 

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Three-quarters of children (75.0%) and the majority of adults (90.0%) perceived that sports wagering was becoming a normal part of sport.

Conclusion and implications: This research shows that children engaged in particular sports have high awareness of wagering marketing, particularly as seen on television or at sporting matches. Regulation should comprehensively address the placement, quantity and content of wagering marketing aligned with sport to prevent current and/or future gambling harm.

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27524502/

[Haji 2003]

A source of funding

In Australia gambling is defended on account of its providing a source of revenues for e.g. free broadcasting, but as one politician points out:

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“Journalism is incredibly important, but it shouldn't be dependent on flogging products we know are harmful, and which cause addiction, personal issues, family breakdowns, and in some cases, suicide,” he told the BBC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2yg3k82y0o