A frequency and content analysis of gambling advertising shown during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

The growing popularity of women’s football could provide an
opportunity for gambling operators to target a new and potentially untapped
audience, however, there has been comparatively less research on gambling
advertising in women’s sports compared to men’s. This study therefore sought to
examine the frequency and content of TV gambling adverts during UK coverage
of the FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) in 2023. All matches were recorded on
Sky TV, and variables from each match were coded, including the company
responsible, the products advertised, the type of each gambling advert, and the use of safer gambling messages. During 32 matches, 19 gambling-affiliated adverts were coded (M = 0.6). Only brand awareness, and financial inducements advert types featured. Just three of these adverts (15.8%) embedded a safer gambling message, “Take time to think”. Adverts featured luck-based games, e.g., lottery or slots; games that have been reported to be popular amongst women, but there were no adverts from female focused gambling operators, suggesting a limited use of gendered advertising. Inconsistencies in advert types between the two coders uncovered regional differences in the content of observed gambling adverts. This raises methodological challenges which would need to be addressed to conduct future research on TV gambling advertising. This study is of significance as it is the first to examine gambling advertising in women’s football. Future research should continue to monitor women’s sport as a potential marketing opportunity for the gambling industry.