The need for effective , authentic and ethical marketing strategies By Marla Royne Stafford , Ph . D .
Marketing is Responsible Gambling
The need for effective , authentic and ethical marketing strategies By Marla Royne Stafford , Ph . D .
Gambling remains a popular form of entertainment for a wide range of adults . Gambling activities offer recreational fun and excitement , while also providing potential for financial gain .
However , as the gambling industry grows , fueled by the relatively recent changes in sports betting , there is a concomitant growing need for a balanced approach within the industry to ensure that all forms of gambling remain an enjoyable and safe activity .
A safe activity prevents participating individuals from engaging in behaviors that will likely produce some element of harm to the individual . Harms can be financial , emotional , or relational , and preventing harm is the foundation of responsible gambling . Hence , the concept of responsible gambling remains a critical initiative within the gambling industry to protect individuals from experiencing harm while promoting sustainable industry practices .
To achieve this two-pronged goal , marketing is crucial , because , by definition , marketing is designed to influence individual perceptions and affect personal choice behavior . Social marketing , a type of marketing utilized to influence individual behavior and encourage social change while seeking the “ common good ,” does just that , but also fosters a culture of responsibility . Therefore , gambling and responsible gambling are closely intertwined and must be marketed consistently , authentically , and ethically .
RAISING AWARENESS
Marketing and advertising play a powerful role in both gambling experiences and raising awareness about responsible gambling practices . Prosocial advertising , a subset of social marketing , is grounded in a social issue affecting a large population of society , and seeks to catalyze positive societal change .
Prosocial messages have become a popular form of advertising to promote individual causes and ideas to help society and foster well-being . As such , traditional advertising , social media advertising and other promotional tools are conduits to communicating a range of information about both gambling activities and the societal concept of responsible gambling , including educational content , informing consumers about the need to set limits , how to recognize signs of problem gambling , how to keep recreational gambling in check , and how to seek help when needed .
Specifically , clear and engaging messages must be created to effectively convey that gambling is , in reality , a type of entertainment for enjoyment , and one that demands regular monitoring ; it is not a means to generate income .
For example , the popular U . K . campaign “ When the Fun Stops , Stop ” is considered a successful marketing campaign developed to promote both moderation and mindfulness in gambling .
If the gambling industry emphasizes transparency in its marketing practices , a well-designed , creative and authentic campaign can potentially demystify the concept of responsible gambling , making it more easily understandable , more accessible to a wider audience , and more readily acceptable as a term embraced by recreational players .
Because evidence exists that the concept of responsible gambling is often misunderstood and even conflated with problem gambling ( for example , see Stafford et al , 2024 ), developing clear , intelligible messages is particularly important . This can potentially help any player recognize that responsible gambling is fully aligned with having fun ; it is not a stigmatized term that is reserved for those with gambling problems .
Both on-ground and online legal gambling operators typically offer several self-regulation tools such as deposit limits , time trackers and selfexclusion options . However , many gamblers are unaware these tools exist , and marketing the availability of these options can effectively ensure that players are aware of their benefits and utilize them before gambling causes harm and manifests as a problem .
For instance , an advertisement for a type of game may use a slice-oflife advertising appeal ( an appeal that integrates a real-life situation / solution into an ad ), and depict an individual embracing the use of one of
22 Global Gaming Business MARCH 2025