Current rules governing gambling advertising may not sufficiently limit its influence on betting behaviour, according to researchers at the University of Sheffield.
The British betting industry continues to find itself at loggerheads with academics and researchers over advertising and marketing – a key topic of regulatory debate.
2022 World Cup study
In the most recent example, the University of Sheffield’s study has linked television gambling adverts to increased betting activity during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with the 2026 tournament just four months away.
The research examined betting behaviour among men aged 18-45 in England during the tournament in Qatar, analysing how exposure to gambling advertising during televised matches affected the likelihood of placing bets.
Researchers found that the frequency of football betting was between 16% and 24% higher during matches broadcast on television channels that carried gambling advertising (ITV).
This was compared with matches shown on channels without such adverts (BBC). Participants were also 22% to 33% more likely to place a bet when gambling advertising appeared during a match.
The study focused on participants who reported no personal history of gambling problems, but focused on the group which has the largest proportion of sports bettors in the UK and those most at risk of gambling-related harm.
Betting’s football battleground
Football betting remains one of the most common forms of gambling in Great Britain. The researchers highlighted that the expansion of in-play and micro-betting has increased both the speed and frequency of betting opportunities, potentially amplifying the impact of advertising during live sports broadcasts.
The extent of the betting industry’s visibility in football has been subject to extensive debate, particularly during the Gambling Act review from 2020-2023. Proponents of gambling law reform have repeatedly called for a ban on sports sponsorships by betting companies, while others have called for a ban on advertising in general.
The University of Sheffield is not alone in examining gambling advertising. The University of Bristol has been particularly active, and researchers from the university have been known to submit complaints around betting ads to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
“These television adverts may be acting as powerful triggers during live games, encouraging betting even among people who had no prior intention to gamble,” said Ellen McGrane, a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield’s School of Medicine and Population health, and the lead author of the study.
“One of our key findings was that this advertising doesn’t simply shift people between betting platforms, it increases the overall amount of gambling taking place. A substantial body of evidence shows that when gambling participation rises at a population level, gambling-related harm also increases, suggesting that the current restrictions in place may not be effective enough.
“Despite the scale of this issue, advertising rules are not being strengthened. Tighter regulation of gambling advertising during live sport may be needed, particularly ahead of highly televised events such as the World Cup, to better protect those most at risk.”
Sheffield University’s findings play further into the narrative that gambling should be viewed and regulated as a public health issue rather than as a business one, an opinion held by an increasing number of MPs.
In their study, Sheffield researchers cited data that puts the health, social and economic costs in England estimated at between £1.05bn and £1.77bn per year.
Advertising regulations to change?
The findings add to ongoing debate over the effectiveness of existing advertising restrictions and whether further measures are required to reduce exposure to gambling marketing during major sporting events. The betting industry has been busy making its own case, however.
Recent research by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), for example, found that £1.15bn was spent on gambling advertising by Great Britain-licensed operators from October 2023-September 2024.
Despite the high expenditure, gambling advertising only accounted for 2.7% of spend in the total UK advertising market in 2024 – a drop from 3% in the previous year. Separately, the Premier League is also introducing its voluntary ban on front-of-shirt sponsorships from the 2026/27 season onwards.
However, with political pressure mounting it seems that a clampdown on the gambling sector lies ahead in the UK and is already starting to come into play, with adjustments to gambling taxation and limits on stakes for certain products set to be introduced.
However, advertising regulations are yet to change and the BGC warned that, if certain measures were to be enforced, “there would likely be further repercussions than a marginal change in GVA and employment”, including less sport being shown on free-to-air television and structural shifts towards subscription models for television.
One country which has recently tightened its restrictions on gambling advertising is The Netherlands. The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) – its gambling regulator – has imposed strict limits on targeted advertising, with major reforms implemented in July 2023, July 2024 and July 2025.
A similar approach in the UK could lead to further jeopardy in a sector which is only just coming to terms with recent changes announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, in the recent Autumn Budget.