Gambling ads 'out of control' in Premier League football

The Government is being urged to crack down on a new “explosion” of gambling marketing during top flight football games, with a new study showing nearly 30,000 gambling ads were shown across TV, radio, and social media during live Premier League coverage on the opening weekend – up 300% on last year.

The report, led by the University of Bristol’s Hub for Gambling Harms Research, shows football fans are being constantly bombarded with gambling marketing during live match coverage and related news reports.

The research team has also reported from its study more than 100 offending social media ads by major gambling brands to the Advertising Standards Authority for investigation.

During live broadcasts of six Premier League matches, findings showed a total of 29,145 gambling messages, including logos and ads shown during live matches, up from 10,999 recorded over the same period last year.

During match play more than 10,000 gambling messages were detected, because the industry’s ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban, designed to keep gambling marketing in check, only applies to TV commercials during ad breaks, rendering the policy ineffective.

The worst-hit match studied – West Ham United v Aston Villa – contained 6,491 gambling messages, equating to around 30 a minute. In previous studies, gambling messages peaked at around 3,500 a match.

Co-lead author of the report Dr Raffaello Rossi, a marketing researcher from the University of Bristol, said: “This new evidence shows how much the industry is out of control – with gambling ads now flooding Premier League coverage.

“Just a few months ago, a new code of conduct was published by the industry to curb marketing during football events, but the policy has had no impact on the volume whatsoever. It’s clear that the industry’s attempt to self-regulate is wholly inadequate and tokenistic. Despite having had years to put in place effective measures to protect consumers, the gambling industry continues to prioritise profit over safety.”

Lord Foster of Bath, chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, added: “These statistics reveal the woeful inadequacies of industry self-regulation. Despite the purported ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban, we continue to see games saturated with gambling advertising, sponsorship and marketing messages.

“It is simply not good enough. The Government and the Gambling Commission must immediately act to reform gambling advertising, sponsorship and marketing. With political will, these reforms can be implemented now without the need for new legislation.”

Replicating last year’s investigation, a 10-strong team of researchers painstakingly analysed around 24 hours of live match coverage, 15 hours of Sky Sports News coverage, 15 hours of TalkSport radio broadcasts, and gambling advertising posted on Instagram, Facebook, and X from August 16 to 19.

The report revealed how gambling operators are also successfully exploiting social media to reach vast audiences, including children, with gambling ads on these platforms being viewed over 24 million times.

Some of the most popular social media posts featured Premier League players and are not obviously identifiable as gambling advertising, making children especially vulnerable. Three-quarters (74%) of the content marketing posts collected were not clearly identifiable as ads, breaching key advertising regulations.

Co-lead author Dr Jamie Wheaton said: “The findings demonstrate the continued negligence of self-regulation of gambling marketing in football, with measures failing to reduce exposure to children and vulnerable audiences. Our research highlights the need for the Government to intervene and move beyond the industry’s voluntary measures, to fully ensure children and young people are protected.”

Multi-disciplinary experts in marketing, law, psychology, and personal finance at the University of Bristol are at the forefront of tackling gambling harms and influencing regulatory reform.

Last season’s investigation resulted in Dr Rossi presenting evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Related Harms and House of Lords Peers for Gambling Reform. Both groups have since cited the evidence and appealed for the Government to accelerate and step up proposed legislation in the white paper, much of which has yet to take effect.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, former vice chair of the Gambling Harms All Party Parliamentary Group, concluded: “This appalling evidence shows us that, as I warned previously, the industry could not be trusted to regulate itself. Sadly, the regulators are toothless and as a result we are all being flooded with adverts that the vast majority of us do not want to see.

“Enough is enough. This Government and the Gambling Commission must act swiftly to deliver regulation capable of meaningfully reducing exposure to gambling advertising and help save lives.”

Last April, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to halt accepting gambling-related sponsorship on the front of matchday shirts but this will not come into effect until the 2025-26 season.

AFC Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves will all feature gambling brands on their shirts during the 2024-25 season.

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