Personalizing Gambling Ads – Disturbing New Trend in the UK

In contrast to TV advertising, online ads can be more personalized, interactive, and be difficult to identify as advertising because they differ little from the rest of the content. This is evidenced by research by scientists at the University of South Wales.

Although this concerns primarily the situation in the United Kingdom, it can be applied for the most part to every country. For example, on the sites of the best online casinos in New Zealand, which you can find out about at Newzealandcasinoreview.com, you will notice the same. What is special about ads personalization, and how gamblers can drive a benefit out of it?

How Online Advertising Works?

When people use the Internet, their browsing, shopping, and profile data are collected and sent to third-party ad networks. This data is then stored in browser cookies, allowing the networks to deliver personalized ads to users. This is how the gambling industry moved away from mass advertising and reached targeted advertising based on precisely such demographics. This means that on the same site, one user may come across online bingo advertisements, while other people may see sports betting advertisements. The scenario depends on the content of user data cookies stored in the web browser.

Other industries are also capitalizing on the ability to personalize ad content that is responsive to users. However, in recent years, it is the gambling business that has significantly increased its spending on this type of online advertising since personalized ads are more effective than massive marketing campaigns because they are more relevant. They seem to users to be trustworthy and require attention.

The question remains about the ethical side of using online demographic and behavioral data to market potentially addictive products, including gambling. The second notable shift in gambling advertising that the study points out is the use of interactive elements to engage users. Traditional advertising methods have been based on providing information to the audience. In contrast, an increasing number of gambling companies are embedding direct links to their sites in social media posts.

In addition, research has shown that social media users enjoy sharing gambling advertisements as much as others. This fact was established by analyzing the content of posts of gambling companies on social networks. This tactic means that such messages can get into the social networks of people who usually do not see them, such as children. Of course, there are some restriction algorithms that allow you to block clearly inappropriate content. But many messages from gambling companies do not meet the criteria, for example, memes, polls, cartoons, humor – something that is especially attractive to children and adolescents.

What gamblers can count on with personalized ads?

• Easily finding information/ games they have been looking for;
• Being offered targeted ads that meet their interests and needs;
• Forgetting about the need to sort out the data since the ads they see are targeted toward their interests.

Is It Good or Bad?

Since 2005, the UK Gambling Act has relaxed rules regarding gambling and related advertising. However, its provisions were developed for traditional media rather than sophisticated modern forms of advertising. It would be great if the gambling law reform takes into account the new methods of advertising online gambling and protects young and vulnerable audiences from the negative impact of the new marketing style.