People who receive regular promotional offers from gambling companies, such as free bets, emails and text messages, bet significantly more and suffer greater harm than those who opt out, according to a study published in the journal Addiction.
Researchers followed 227 regular gamblers over two weeks and compared those who received direct marketing from their gambling accounts with those who had opted out. The results were clear: people who didn’t receive the marketing placed 23% fewer bets, spent 39% less money, and reported 67% fewer short-term harms, including feeling distressed about their gambling, than those who did.
Co-author Dr Philip Newall, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Bristol, said: “The research is important as it’s the first to show a causal link between exposure to gambling marketing and increased gambling harms in a real-world setting. Although the findings relate to direct marketing, I see no reason why the same or similar adverse effects wouldn’t occur for gambling advertising on TV or social media.”
The findings come at an important moment for regulation. Dr Newall said: “The UK Government 2023 white paper on gambling argued that there was little need to regulate marketing, since there was no evidence of a causal link. This research changes that and can help validate the experiences of many who are struggling with the harms of gambling addiction.”
The human cost of gambling marketing is illustrated by the story of Naman Jawaid, 34, from Manchester, who first placed a bet at 18 after seeing a TV ad for a free bet. What began as £10 quickly spiralled into an addiction that saw him betting an average of £2,000 a day at its worst.
“All the bets were placed online on sport because I thought I knew my stuff and could win,” he said. “Once you open an account, they know what type of personalised messages to send. If you haven’t bet in a few days, they entice you with a free one and so it sucks you back in. Top footballers and comedians are fronting the big brands, so you think it’s all harmless fun but before you know it you’re locked into a vicious, manipulative cycle which can take over your whole life.”
Naman turned to financial crime to fund his addiction and served time in prison, which proved to be a turning point.
“The discipline made me realise I needed to change. After I was released, I went into recovery and started to turn my life around. I now have a rewarding job, strong marriage, and good friends,” he said. “For me, gambling was all about feeling pressure and my desire to give previous partners everything. The constant ads, including personal correspondence, were a trigger, so I’ve now self-excluded from all that and found a new focus.”
Naman now works as a research project coordinator for GamLEARN, a charity supporting people in the criminal justice system, and has seen the same patterns of harm in others. “I know first-hand how hard it is to break free from the addiction. Working in the gambling harms space professionally, I have seen how the people we support suffer from the same victimisation by receiving emails, letters, and text messages on a daily basis basically offering incentives when these people are desperately seeking support away from gambling. Something needs to happen to stop this.”
The study’s lead author, Professor Matthew Rockloff of Central Queensland University, said: “This study provides clear evidence that direct gambling marketing increases gambling-related harm. It strengthens the case for tighter regulation, and potentially a complete ban, to better protect consumers.”
Rockloff M, Browne M, Hing N, Russell AMT, Rawat V, Newall P. Direct gambling marketing, direct harm: A randomised experiment. Addiction. 2026 Mar 18. doi: 10.1111/add.70369.