Prof Gareth Roderique-Davies and Prof Bev John of the University of South Wales will be speaking at our conference on 18 September 2019.
It’s increasingly difficult to watch TV or use a smartphone without being bombarded by gambling adverts, often including incentives such as free bets. These adverts also urge punters to “gamble responsibly”, which at surface level at least seems like a sensible suggestion. However, it can be argued that this focus on the actions of consumers deflects any responsibility away from the industry itself.
The impact of gambling on society extends beyond the notion of ‘irresponsible’ gamblers, with problem gambling now being highlighted as an emerging public health issue. The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton, has stated that, “While it may be harmless fun for some, gambling has great potential to cause harm to individuals and can have devastating effects on the people closest to them, and communities.”
Readers of alcohol-related blogs are no doubt experiencing a sense of déjà vu with this situation. There are many commonalities between alcohol consumption and gambling that go beyond the potential for dependence and harm for individuals and society. Both are underpinned by powerful and influential industries that have enjoyed a relaxation of regulation over recent decades and that engage in wide-reaching advertising and targeting of existing and new customer markets. Research from Australia strongly suggests that betting advertisement strategies are very appealing to children. Likewise, the drinks industry implemented similar strategies with sweet, vividly coloured alcoholic drinks in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when alcopops were successfully targeted at underage teenagers and their parents as a ‘safe’ starter drink.