Researchers examined how the Premier League was covered in the UK on radio, social media, and TV, taking into account things like shirt logos and hoardings at the stadium.
Over 29,000 gambling communications were counted, which is 165% more than during the inaugural weekend of the previous year.
Almost 6,500 gambling messages were posted during West Ham’s match against Aston Villa, or almost 30 every minute.
An attempt at self-regulation by the industry has been deemed “wholly inadequate and tokenistic” by the report’s authors, the University of Bristol business school, who received funding for their work from the charitable organization Gamble Aware.
They claim that their research demonstrates how fans and kids are being exposed to gambling advertisements, putting them at risk.
The study was criticized by the Betting and Gaming Council, an organization that advocates for the gambling sector, claiming that it “fundamentally misunderstands both advertising, and the way it is strictly regulated.”
However, the most capped male football player in England, Peter Shilton, who previously struggled with gambling addiction, told the news that the gambling business is “out of control and can’t regulate itself” and demanded that the government step in.
“Just a few months ago, a new code of conduct was published by the industry, external to curb marketing during football events, but the policy has had no impact on the volume whatsoever,” Dr. Raffaello Rossi, the co-lead it.
