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Latest UK report reveals complex nature of advertising exposure to children, young people and vulnerable individuals
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New research into gambling advertising and marketing reveals complex nature of exposure to gambling for children, young people and vulnerable individuals
GambleAware has today published an interim report, produced by Ipsos MORI, that examines the frequency and format of gambling advertising and marketing, and the exposure among children, young people and vulnerable adults.
The research, which is the first of its kind in Great Britain, was carried out by two consortia led by Ipsos MORI and the Institute for Social Marketing at the University of Stirling. The research is also part of the Gambling Commission’s research programme and forms a key part of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.
The interim results found that, between 2015-2018, the volume and spend on gambling marketing and advertising is on the rise across different forms of media, including TV and radio, with lotteries and bookmakers among the top spenders. Sports advertising was particularly dominant online, with exposure compounded further by sponsorship used within broadcasts of live events.
Children, young people and vulnerable individuals who took part in focus group discussions for the study highlighted the prevalence of gambling advertising on TV (including during the day), on social media, on the high street and at point of sales in shops. The emergence of new sectors such as eSports presents a new set of challenges in terms of managing exposure to gambling.
In addition to advertising and marketing, the researchers identified other factors contributing to the wide exposure of gambling within society, including the role of family and friends in introducing them to gambling. Many revealed they had experienced exposure to gambling activity from an early age in a range of settings.
Within the data captured, the research found no examples of gambling adverts being placed within children’s media, including the most popular children’s websites. However, researchers judged much of the content contained features which might plausibly appeal directly to children and young people, including celebrity endorsement, memorable songs and catchphrases. Content which may appeal to children and young people was found in 11% of gambling adverts in the mainstream media; this was as high as 59% of eSports gambling content on Twitter – largely due to the use of animated style graphics.
Furthermore, the research found that children are currently not being actively screened out from receiving online gambling adverts and are able to follow and engage with betting-related accounts on Twitter. This suggests that more could be done with existing technology to manage what children are exposed to.
Across the board, there was mixed levels of awareness and understanding of messages relating to risk or safer gambling among participants. The research also identified little evidence of prominent consumer protection messages – such as age warnings or promotion of lower-risk gambling. Therefore, more could be done to clearly highlight the risks of gambling within advertising and marketing.
In light of this, researchers found that some advertising may exploit the susceptibility, inexperience or lack of knowledge of children, young people or vulnerable adults. Over a fifth (22%) of mainstream media adverts were judged to contain features such as implied limited risk or inflated chances of winning; this rose to 37% on Twitter.
The final phase of the research and subsequent findings will focus more on the impact of gambling marketing and advertising and will be published later in 2019. The outcome of today’s stakeholder event, which presents an opportunity to discuss and build on some of the key issues that have emerged, will also be released later this year.
Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware has said:
“This is an interim report, and as such it is too early to judge the impact of exposure to gambling advertising and marketing on children, young people and vulnerable adults. Nevertheless, the research does make important recommendations, including the need for clearer and more regular messages on gambling adverts of the risks associated with gambling, and the need to strengthen age verification processes on social media platforms.”
Ian Angus from the Gambling Commission has said:
“We welcome the publication of this interim report which contributes towards the delivery of the recently launched National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms. This research takes a significant step to address gaps in understanding of this issue and provides a clearer picture of the volume, tone and content of gambling advertising and sponsorship in Great Britain, and the extent to which children, young people and vulnerable adults are exposed to it.
We await the findings of the second phase report with interest. In the meantime, we are pleased to see that the report identifies clear areas for action that gambling firms can take now and we therefore expect them to redouble their efforts to address public concerns about the volume and nature of gambling advertising and sport sponsorship.”
Steven Ginnis, Research Director at Ipsos MORI has said:
“The research identifies the multiple touchpoints through which children, young people and vulnerable adults come in to contact with gambling marketing and advertising. This stretches from the high street to the lounge and isn’t just restricted to sports. The impact of this exposure will be fully explored in our second report. Participants in the research also spoke of a wide range of themes and features that they find appealing in gambling advertising; these features are more commonplace than the use of child-friendly images or phrases, for example the use of celebrities or the use of financial offers. This requires a more nuanced discussion of how best to mitigate against the risks of exposure, appeal and susceptibility to gambling advertising among these groups.”
Plain English executive summary of report
About the research:
- The full report will be published on GambleAware’s website.
- The research was carried out by two consortia:
- Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling; ScotCen Social Research; University of Glasgow; and the University of Warwick
- Ipsos MORI; Demos; Ebiquity; University of Bristol; and the University of Edinburgh
- The research was commissioned in March 2018 and was made up of ten different strands, including media monitoring, analysis of paid-for online ads using avatars, social media analysis, and focus groups and in-depth interviews with children, young people and vulnerable adults.
- Ipsos MORI conducted media monitoring research using Ebiquity’s in house advertising database, Portfolio. Portfolio is an advertising research platform, which links advertisements to their placement in the media and the standard spend rate for these advertisements.
- Ipsos MORI conducted in-depth interviews (including diary research) with 28 children and young people aged 11-24 and 32 vulnerable adults. ScotCen spoke to a total of 83 people in either one of 13 focus groups or additional four in-depth interviews, including 62 young people aged 11-24, 13 adults with an experience of mental health problems, and 8 adults with problems with gambling. Vulnerable adults were defined as “people living in constrained economic circumstances”, “people with limited capacity to understand information”, “people already experiencing gambling problems” or “people with experiences of mental health problems”.
- 11 online avatars were created, each had a specific personality and were developed through normal browsing activity, akin to the behaviours of a real online user. This was done using ‘Audience Panel Simulation’.
- Two content analyses were conducted of a sample of adverts placed on mainstream media (conducted by University of Stirling) and on Twitter (conducted by University of Bristol). The content analysis codebook used to categorise adverts covered six main areas: i) descriptive information; ii) design features; iii) content in detail; iv) consumer protection information; v) information about the gambling; and vi) messages about gambling behaviour and outcomes.
- The objectives of the research were to:
- Explore whether and how gambling marketing and advertising influences children and young people’s attitudes towards gambling.
- Examine the tone and content of gambling marketing and advertising across all media.
- Identify specific themes and features of gambling advertising that children, young people and vulnerable people are particularly susceptible to.
- The final phase of the research focuses on the impact of gambling marketing and advertising on children, young people and vulnerable people and will be published later in 2019.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Latest UK report reveals complex nature of advertising exposure to children, young people and vulnerable individuals
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Rapid growth in sports traffic and 400+ participating teams – the Golden Boomerang Awards 2025 results.
The Golden Boomerang Awards 2025, a global affiliate traffic tournament hosted by Boomerang Partners, has officially concluded after three thrilling months of intense competition. From February 3 to May 11, the tournament brought hundreds of affiliate teams across two dynamic leaderboards: Sports betting and Casino.
Boomerang shared some impressive numbers and results from the tournament:
- Over 400 affiliate teams from around the world participated (last year, 226)
- The share of sports traffic to the Boomerang portfolio brands increased by 39% during the competition;
- Sports traffic attracted to the active segment during the competition remained at 86%;
- The top sports event during the contest period was the Champions League semi-final match between Barcelona and Inter;
- During the same period, the top game on the casino leaderboard was the Sugar Rush 1000
In addition to awards in 11 categories (these will be awarded to the winners in May at a special ceremony), Golden Boomerang Awards 2025 participants competed for exclusive prizes in monthly drawings. There were a total of four such drawings:
- Month 1 winner — RevPanda. They attended AC Milan vs Inter.
- Month 2 winner — HighRoller Gaming. The prize was a trip to F1.
- Month 3 winner — Boring Seo. The Boomerang Partners team will fulfil their wish.
Boomerang also held a special competition as part of GBA 2025. It was timed to coincide with the Champions League semi-finals. The winner was team FUMMA, which will receive the coveted ‘Home Stadium Fan’ VIP experience.
With the competition closed, the Top 30 affiliate teams are receiving official invitations to an exclusive award ceremony and networking event at the legendary San Siro Stadium in Milan. As the Official Regional Betting Partner of AC Milan, Boomerang Partners is proud to host the winners in true Italian style — with a show-stopping evening that combines recognition, entertainment, and football heritage. At the center of the celebration will be Andrea Pirlo, football icon and AC Milan legend, who will personally present the award nominations to the top-performing teams.
More details about the final event and winners will follow soon.
About Boomerang
Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global brand offering a wide range of services. Boomerang is the Official Regional Betting Partner of AC Milan and collaborates with women’s football star and influencer Alisha Lehmann. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards 2024, the first annual global affiliate tournament. Boomerang Partners’ betting segment surged 5x, and gambling — 2x in 2024. Its affiliate program demonstrated a 120% increase in partners, and the number of sports betting offers surged more than 6 times. Six new products were launched by Boomerang in 2024, which contributed to an almost 1.5-fold increase in product users.
Boomerang’s portfolio contains 15+ gambling brands, including sportsbooks. They cover over 35 GEOs and offer a wide range of betting options with favorable odds. These products provide personalized bonuses and 24/7 multilingual support.
The post Rapid growth in sports traffic and 400+ participating teams – the Golden Boomerang Awards 2025 results. appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD) (“Sportradar” or the “Company”), a leading global sports technology company focused on creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2025.
Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar, said: “We had a strong start to the year with record quarterly revenue as we delivered broad-based growth across our leading product suite and diverse global footprint, while expanding margins and cash flow. The continued momentum we are generating builds upon our success from last year, demonstrating the durability of our business and our mission critical role in the expanding sports ecosystem. During the quarter we also further bolstered our leading content portfolio with the extension and expansion of our partnership with Major League Baseball and we signed an agreement to acquire IMG ARENA’s sports betting rights portfolio. We are excited by the unique opportunities these valuable properties will provide to our customers and look forward to generating additional value for our shareholders in 2025 and beyond.”
FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS
Revenue
| Three-Month Period Ended March 31, |
|||||||||
| in € thousands (unaudited) | 2025 | 2024 | Change | % | |||||
| Revenue by product | |||||||||
| Betting & Gaming Content | 193,807 | 171,588 | 22,219 | 13 | % | ||||
| Managed Betting Services | 56,214 | 48,328 | 7,886 | 16 | % | ||||
| Betting Technology & Solutions | 250,021 | 219,916 | 30,105 | 14 | % | ||||
| Marketing & Media Services | 46,610 | 34,278 | 12,332 | 36 | % | ||||
| Sports Performance | 11,411 | 9,306 | 2,105 | 23 | % | ||||
| Integrity Services | 3,189 | 2,394 | 795 | 33 | % | ||||
| Sports Content, Technology & Services | 61,210 | 45,978 | 15,232 | 33 | % | ||||
| Total Revenue | 311,231 | 265,894 | 45,337 | 17 | % | ||||
| Revenue by geography | |||||||||
| Rest of World | 225,130 | 200,332 | 24,798 | 12 | % | ||||
| United States | 86,101 | 65,562 | 20,539 | 31 | % | ||||
| Total Revenue | 311,231 | 265,894 | |||||||
Total revenue for the first quarter was €311 million, up €45 million, or 17% year-over-year, driven by 14% growth in Betting Technology & Solutions and 33% growth in Sports Content, Technology & Services.
Betting Technology & Solutions revenues of €250 million were up 14% year-over-year primarily driven by a 13% increase in Betting & Gaming Content primarily from customer uptake of additional products and from U.S. market growth. Managed Betting Services revenues were up 16% driven by strong growth in Managed Trading Services from increased turnover and higher trading margins.
Sports Content, Technology & Services revenues of €61 million increased 33% year-over-year primarily driven by 36% growth in Marketing & Media Services led by higher ad:s revenue as several sportsbooks increased spending on marketing campaigns, and from contributions from the expansion of our affiliate marketing capabilities.
The Company generated strong revenue growth globally with Rest of World up 12% and the United States up 31%. As a percentage of total Company revenues, United States revenue represented 28% of total Company revenue in the first quarter as compared to 25% in the prior year quarter due to continued market growth and additional customer uptake of our products.
Customer Net Retention Rate of 122% further demonstrates our ability to cross-sell and up-sell to our clients, as well as the market growth in the United States.
Profit for the period
Profit for the period was €24 million, up €25 million, compared to a loss of €1 million in the same quarter a year ago, driven by strong operating results and a foreign currency gain of €28 million in the quarter as compared to a €14 million loss last year, due to unrealized currency fluctuations mainly associated with the U.S. dollar-denominated sport rights. These increases were partially offset primarily by higher share-based compensation and amortization of capitalized sport rights licenses expenses compared with the first quarter a year ago.
Adjusted EBITDA
First quarter Adjusted EBITDA was €59 million, up €12 million, or 25%, compared to €47 million in the same quarter a year ago. The increase was largely driven by the 17% revenue growth, partially offset by increased sport rights costs primarily related to the continued success of the ATP partnership deal, higher purchased services driven by investments in developing our product portfolio and increased personnel expenses to support growth initiatives.
Business Highlights
- Announced agreement to acquire IMG ARENA and its global sports betting rights portfolio. Following receipt of regulatory approvals and the closing, which is currently anticipated to take place in the fourth quarter of 2025, IMG ARENA’s portfolio is expected to enhance Sportradar’s content and product offering and further strengthen its strategic position as a leading content provider in the most bet upon global sports, including tennis, soccer and basketball.
- Announced the extension and expansion of our partnership with Major League Baseball (“MLB”) for 8 years, beginning with the 2025 season. Sportradar will exclusively distribute ultra-low latency official MLB data, media content, including MLB Statcast Data, and audiovisual content across our global client network. Additionally, Sportradar and MLB will collaborate on the creation of AI-driven products powered by player tracking data to create immersive, hyper-personalized fan experiences.
- Expanded Alpha Odds, Sportradar’s AI-enabled premium odds calculation and risk management solution, into cricket, a sport that generates an estimated €80 billion in global betting turnover annually.
- Signed multi-year partnership with the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV) to safeguard CBV competitions from corruption and match-fixing through Sportradar’s Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), and to supply metrics and dynamic visualizations for coaching teams.
- Extended long-standing partnership with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). Sportradar will deliver integrity monitoring for more than 8,200 men’s and women’s matches organized annually by the CBF, now including all Brazilian national championships.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents were €358 million as of March 31, 2025 as compared with €348 million as of December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by net cash generated from operating activities of €102 million due to the strong operating performance, partially offset by net cash used in investing activities of €66 million, primarily from the acquisition of additional sport rights and from net cash used in financing activities of €19 million, due primarily to share repurchases related to employee stock grants. Free cash flow for the first quarter was €32 million, an increase of €32 million compared to the same period a year ago.
Including its undrawn credit facility, the Company had total liquidity of €578 million at March 31, 2025 as compared to €568 million as of December 31, 2024, and no debt outstanding.
2025 Annual Financial Outlook
Sportradar reiterated its fiscal 2025 outlook as follows:
- Revenue of at least €1,273 million, representing year-on-year growth of at least 15%
- Adjusted EBITDA of at least €281 million, representing year-on-year growth of at least 26%
- Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of at least 200 basis points
- Free cash flow conversion1 rate above the 2024 level of 53%
The 2025 guidance does not include any impact from the pending acquisition of IMG ARENA given the uncertainty around the timing of close. Guidance will be updated to incorporate the anticipated uplift resulting from this acquisition following the closing of the transaction.
Share Repurchase Plan
In March 2024, the Board of Directors approved a $200 million share repurchase plan. As of May 9, 2025 the Company has repurchased 4.8 million shares under the plan for a total of $86 million, including 3.0 million shares in conjunction with the recently completed secondary offering.
Conference Call and Webcast Information
Sportradar will host a conference call to discuss the first quarter results today, May 12, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Those wishing to participate via webcast should access the earnings call through Sportradar’s Investor Relations website. An archived webcast with the accompanying slides will be available at the Company’s Investor Relations website for one year after the conclusion of the live event.
The post Sportradar Reports First Quarter Results appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
South Africa is once again positioning itself as a leader in ethical gambling practices, with the upcoming Responsible Gambling Summit 2025 set to take place on 13–14 November 2025 at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Gauteng. This landmark event will gather international experts, regulators, and industry professionals to address the most pressing challenges in responsible gambling across Africa.
Hosted by the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) in collaboration with major regulatory bodies such as the National Gambling Board, Eastern Cape Gambling Board, and Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, the summit aims to drive forward an evidence-based, solutions-focused agenda that ensures gambling growth does not come at the cost of public well-being.
As South Africa continues to see rising participation in both land-based and gambling online, the summit is timely. It will tackle issues ranging from technological safeguards and public health integration, to policy harmonisation and vulnerable population protection.
Advocating for Safer Online Gambling
As South Africa strengthens its role in setting responsible gambling standards, SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za remains at the forefront of this effort in the online casino space. Our portal is more than a online casino listing site — it is a trusted source of expert advice, consumer guidance, and responsible gambling advocacy.
Since our inception, we have maintained a clear policy: we only recommend licensed, regulated casinos in south africa that adhere to strict player protection measures. These include transparent terms, fair bonus practices, and built-in tools such as deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion options.
“The online gambling landscape in South Africa is growing rapidly,” says a spokesperson for SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za. “But with growth comes responsibility. Our mission is to ensure players have access to safe, ethical gambling environments. We support the goals of the Responsible Gambling Summit and encourage every operator to prioritise the welfare of their players.”
Practical Frameworks for Change
The Responsible Gambling Summit 2025 will focus on seven key thematic areas:
- Understanding gambling behaviour and disorders through science-led approaches.
- Overcoming barriers to effective policy implementation, including gaps in education and enforcement.
- Leveraging technology, such as AI-driven risk detection and real-time player monitoring.
- Adopting global regulatory best practices tailored to South African realities.
- Protecting at-risk individuals and communities, especially youth and those in lower-income brackets.
- Educating the public on the risks of gambling and how to stay safe.
- Building international networks to ensure future readiness and consistency across borders.
Each session is designed to lead to real-world outcomes, with progress monitored and reported biennially. This commitment to transparency aligns with broader calls for industry-wide accountability.
How Players Can Gamble Responsibly
Whether you’re new to online casinos or an experienced player, here are some essential responsible gambling tips:
- Treat gambling as entertainment, not a way to make money.
- Set a time limit before you start and stick to it.
- Only gamble with money you can afford to lose.
- Avoid playing when you are upset, stressed, or intoxicated.
- Use built-in responsible gaming tools provided by licensed operators.
- Keep track of your play history and regularly review your habits.
- Seek help if gambling is no longer fun, or if it begins to impact your personal life.
At SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za, we make these practices easier by highlighting casinos that offer responsible gambling features as part of our review process. Each recommended site undergoes a thorough evaluation based on licensing, fairness, transparency, and player protection standards.
Our Commitment to the South African Gambling Community
With a growing base of South African users, SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za plays an important educational role in the online gambling space. Our platform offers in-depth guides, news updates, free bonus casinos, free spins casinos and strategy articles designed to help players make informed decisions.
We actively follow developments in gambling regulation and work to ensure our listings are in line with the latest responsible gambling initiatives. As the conversation around ethical gambling evolves, so does our content — reflecting the high standards that South African players deserve.
South Africa’s leadership in responsible gambling sets a high standard not just for the continent, but for the global industry. By playing at casinos that are transparent, regulated, and committed to safety — such as those featured on SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za — players can enjoy the entertainment of gambling while staying in control.
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