Advertising typically depicts gambling as an exciting, glamorous and attainable lifestyle promising easy financial and social rewards. It is often portrayed as a routine, everyday activity and it is increasingly likened to sport.

Gambling advertising appears to have more impact on certain groups of people. Research has shown that youth have high exposure to gambling advertising and may be particularly influenced by it. Adolescents and children are aware of and can recall specific slogans and jingles and may feel they are being groomed to gamble. Further, research has revealed that advertisements can increase adolescents’ desire to experiment with gambling and prompt a gambling session.

Research has shown that youth may be particularly influenced by (gambling advertising)

Online gamblers are also influenced by gambling advertising. One-tenth of internet gamblers reported that marketing and promotions were critical to their initial uptake and 29% reported increased online gambling expenditure as a result of viewing promotions. However, this marketing has had less success in converting non-gamblers to gambling.

Gambling advertising can have particularly negative impacts on problem gamblers. Compared to other gamblers, problem gamblers report advertisements as being a greater stimulation to gamble , a larger influence on spending more than intended and an encouragement to them to think they can win. 

They also report that these ads can remind them about gambling, trigger gambling urges, provide inducements to gamble and undermine attempts to moderate their gambling. Bonus offers for sports betting, such as money-back guarantees and “free” bets that require matching deposits appear to particularly increase internet gambling among problem gamblers.