Abstract
Previous research has established direct messages (such as emails and text messages) are a widely seen form of advertising and are highly influential on sports betting and race betting behaviour. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the specific content of these messages, and whether their content is related to account-holders’ betting behaviour. The current study used an ecological momentary assessment design to examine direct messages received from wagering operators during the week around major Australian sports and racing events. Respondents completed a baseline survey followed by short daily surveys over a period of 1 week during peak betting periods, and provided the research team with the emails and text messages they received from wagering operators during this time. A sample of 102 sports and 110 race bettors provided a total of 931 messages. These messages subsequently underwent a content analysis to extract key features that were promoted, including inducements, incentives, and bet type. The analysis found the messages were saturated with inducements to bet, however no relationships were identified between the content of messages and the gambling risk status or betting frequency of participants. The most common types of incentives offered included bonus bets, rewards points, better odds/winnings, and reduced risk. Frequently promoted inducements included bonus or better winnings, refund/stake back offers, and match your stake/deposit. Given the influences of inducements on increasing betting expenditure and impulsive betting identified through previous research, taken together with the findings of the current study, direct messages may contribute to experiencing gambling-related harm. These findings have important implications for consumer education and the regulation of direct messages.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Notes
Incentive and inducement categories in the current study were adapted from Hing et al. (2017b).
References
BetEasy. (2019). General rules. https://beteasy.com.au/terms-and-conditions#Direct%20marketing%20and%20opting%20out. Retrieved 22 Apr 2019.
Binde, P. (2014). Gambling advertising: A critical research review. London: Responsible Gambling Trust.
Browne, M., Hing, N., Russell, A., Thomas, A., & Jenkinson, R. (2019). The impact of exposure to wagering advertisements and inducements on intended and actual betting expenditure: An ecological momentary assessment study. Journal of Behavioural Addictions. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.8.2019.10.
Ferris, J. A., & Wynne, H. J. (2001). The Canadian problem gambling index: Final report. Ottawa: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
Gainsbury, S., Russell, A., Blaszczynski, A., & Hing, N. (2015). Greater involvement and diversity of Internet gambling as a risk factor for problem gambling. European Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv006.
Hing, N., Browne, M., Russell, A., Greer, N., Thomas, A., Jenkinson, R., et al. (2018a). Where’s the bonus in bonus bets? Assessing sports bettors’ comprehension of their true cost. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-018-9800-0.
Hing, N., Cherney, L., Blaszczynski, A., Gainsbury, S., & Lubman, D. (2014). Do advertising and promotions for online gambling increase gambling consumption? An exploratory study. International Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2014.903989.
Hing, N., Lamont, M., Vitartas, P., & Fink, E. (2015). How sports bettors respond to sports-embedded gambling promotions: Implications for compulsive consumption. Journal of Business Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.03.003.
Hing, N., Li, E., Vitartis, P., & Russell, A. (2017a). On the spur of the moment: Intrinsic predictors of impulse sports betting. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-017-9719-x.
Hing, N., Russell, A., Li, E., & Vitartis, P. (2018b). Does the uptake of wagering inducements predict impulse betting on sport? Journal of Behavioural Addictions. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.17.
Hing, N., Russell, A., Rockloff, M., Browne, M., Langham, E., Li, E., et al. (2018c). Effects of wagering marketing on vulnerable adults. Melbourne: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.
Hing, N., Russell, A., Thomas, A., & Jenkinson, R. (2019). Wagering advertisements and inducements: Exposure and perceived influence on betting behaviour. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-018-09823-y.
Hing, N., Sproston, K., Brook, K., & Brading, R. (2017b). The structural features of sports and race betting inducements: Issues for harm minimisation and consumer protection. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-016-9642-6.
Ladbrokes. (2019). Privacy policy. https://assets.ctfassets.net/gidydky38i16/6gaeGIVq6i8DfLx5Ri1GIp/805f118d12c79a3b9c5082e72a74d221/Privacy_Policy_v6_-_clean.pdf. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
Lopez-Gonzalez, H., Estévez, A., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Marketing and advertising online sports betting: A problem gambling perspective. Journal of Sport and Social Issues. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723517705545.
Lopez-Gonzalez, H., & Griffiths, M. D. (2018). Betting, forex trading, and fantasy gaming sponsorships: A responsible marketing inquiry into the ‘gamblification’ of English football. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9788-1.
Lopez-Gonzalez, H., Guerrero-Solé, F., & Griffiths, M. D. (2018). A content analysis of how ‘normal’ sports betting behaviour is represented in gambling advertising. Addiction Research & Theory. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2017.1353082.
New South Wales Government. (2018). Gambling advertising and inducements. Department of Industry, Liquor and Gaming. https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/documents/gl/GL4015-Publication-of-gambling-advertising-guidelines.pdf. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
Newall, P. W. S. (2015). How bookies make your money. Judgment and Decision Making, 10(3), 225–231.
Newall, P. W. S. (2017). Behavioral complexity of British gambling advertising. Addiction Research & Theory. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2017.1287901.
Newall, P. W. S. (2019). Dark nudges in gambling. Addition Research and Theory. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2018.1474206.
Newall, P. W. S., Moodie, C., Reith, G., Stead, M., Critchlow, N., Morgan, A., et al. (2019). Gambling marketing from 2014 to 2018: A literature review. Current Addiction Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-019-00239-1.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Can I ask a business to stop sending me marketing material? Australian Government. https://www.oaic.gov.au/individuals/faqs-for-individuals/direct-marketing/can-i-ask-a-business-to-stop-sending-me-marketing-material. Retrieved 22 Apr 2019.
Orford, J., Wardle, H., Griffiths, M., Sproston, K., & Erens, B. (2010). PGSI and DSM-IV in the 2007 British gambling prevalence survey: Reliability, item response, factor structure and inter-scale agreement. International Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14459790903567132.
Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. (2017). Australian gambling statistics, 1990–91 to 2015–16 (33rd ed.). Brisbane: Queensland Treasury.
Rawat, V., Browne, M., Bellringer, M., Greer, N., Kolandai-Matchett, K., Rockloff, M., et al. (2018). A tale of two countries: comparing disability weights for gambling problems in New Zealand and Australia. Quality of Life Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-1882-8.
Rockloff, M. J., Browne, M., Hing, N., Russell, A. M. T., & Greer, N. (2019). Sports-betting incentives encourage gamblers to select the long odds: An experimental investigation using monetary rewards. Journal of Behavioral Addictions. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.8.2019.30.
Russell, A., Hing, N., Browne, M., & Rawat, V. (2018). Are direct messages (texts and emails) from wagering operators associated with betting intention and behavior? An ecological momentary assessment study. Journal of Behavioural Addictions. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.99.
Shiffman, S., Stone, A. A., & Hufford, M. R. (2008). Ecological momentary assessment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.3.022806.091415.
Sproston, K., Hanley, C., Brook, K., Hing, N., & Gainsbury, S. (2015). Marketing of sports betting and racing. Melbourne: Gambling Research Australia.
Funding
This work was supported by a grant from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
VR has received research funds from Gambling Research Australia, CQUniversity, and the New South Wales Office of Responsible Gambling. He declare no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript. NH has received research funds from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Gambling Research Australia, Australian Government Department of Social Services, Alberta Gambling Research Institute, the Australian Gambling Research Centre, the Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian and South Australian Governments, the Australian Research Council, and Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety. She has also received consultancy funds from Echo Entertainment and Sportsbet and an honorarium from Singapore Pools for membership of its International Advisory Committee. She declares that she has no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript. AR has received funding from Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation; New South Wales Office of Responsible Gambling; Queensland Justice and Attorney-General; Gambling Research Australia; National Association for Gambling Studies; Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Alberta Gambling Research Institute. He has received industry funding for an evaluation of problem gambling amongst casino employees from Echo/Star Entertainment Group. He is also affiliated with the University of Sydney. He declares no conflicts of interest in relation to this manuscript.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Appendix
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rawat, V., Hing, N. & Russell, A.M.T. What’s the Message? A Content Analysis of Emails and Texts Received from Wagering Operators During Sports and Racing Events. J Gambl Stud 36, 1107–1121 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-019-09896-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-019-09896-3