Silquia Patel, (right), celebrates after making her bets at the FANDUEL sportsbook during the Super Bowl LIII in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 3, 2019.EDUARDO MUNOZ/Reuters
Timothy Dewhirst is a professor and senior research fellow in marketing and public policy at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph.
The legal age to bet in Canada is 18 or 19 – depending on the province or territory – while the enforcement of age limits among some online gambling sites is doubtful. Understandably, much attention concerning sports betting ads is that they may appeal to children and youth. Still, the ethics of target marketing goes beyond demographics, such as age and geography.
Marketers commonly use “psychographics,” which describes a lifestyle analysis, to identify target customers by considering their personality, activities and interests.
“Sensation seeking” is a personality trait known to predict the likelihood of gambling or betting.
Before his death in 2018, esteemed psychology professor Marvin Zuckerman, who introduced and developed the concept of sensation seeking, described the trait as “the seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences and the willingness to take risks for the sake of such experience.”
Sensation seekers are more prone to boredom, perceiving daily routines as dull, and consequently they are more likely to pursue new experiences, excitement and reject sameness.
Accordingly, marketing communication that highlights sports betting as intense, exciting and exhilarating may particularly resonate with sensation seekers.
It’s important to question, then, whether marketers are acting ethically and responsibly if they are strategically identifying a characteristic – such as sensation seeking – that defines a person and makes them more susceptible to harmful and addictive behaviours.
Gambling is classified as an addictive disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. Some bettors have uncontrollable desires to wager despite the negative consequences of their actions. Adverse outcomes include the possibility of significant financial losses, deteriorating mental health and experiencing difficulties with friends and family. Gambling, especially as financial losses mount, can amplify the risk of suicide and domestic violence.
Target marketing undergoes heightened ethical scrutiny if involving products that have addictive and harmful potential and when consumers might be classified as vulnerable.
The marketing of sports betting companies suggests that they are working from some of the same playbook pages as the tobacco industry.
Marketing planning documents from the tobacco industry – normally proprietary – have been made public because of litigation. Tobacco companies have recognized that smokers, compared to non-smokers, are far more likely to be sensation-seeking. In the U.S., for example, documents reveal that the target market for Kool cigarettes has included young, urban, sensation-seeking males.
The tobacco industry’s market research has acknowledged that, as sensation seekers, smokers partake in activities that are exciting and risky, with gambling provided as an example.
Sportsbook companies also appear to be targeting sensation seekers.
FanDuel promotions encourage people to “bet now” by placing “all new quick bets made for fast action.”
Ads for Bet365 feature the slogan, “Never ordinary.”
TheScore Bet ads include a couple stuck in an elevator when one says, “We’re bored.” Placing bets on their phones is presented as a way for them to relieve their boredom.
The offering of proposition bets is a further way to appeal to sensation seekers who are prone to boredom. Prop bets pertain to occurrences or non-occurrences that are not directly related to the outcome of the game. Through these wagers, a blowout game can remain interesting and exhilarating.
Let’s take Super Bowl LIX – pitting the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles – as an example. Despite the hype, the game itself was lacking for thrills and intense sensations. The Eagles were leading 24-0 at halftime. The Eagles dominated and they never appeared threatened.
But the game expectedly remained interesting if there was a prop bet placed on whether Travis Kelce would score a touchdown. He didn’t. Another prop bet that would keep things exciting is whether Saquon Barkley would rush for more than 100 yards. Again, he didn’t.
Ads for Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG)’s Proline+, which facilitates sports betting online, encouraged people to sign up while proclaiming, “Prop bets on almost anything this Super Bowl LIX.”
Small disclaimers in such sportsbook promotions might indicate, “Please play responsibly,” which suggests that betting is interchangeable with recreation and fun.
Still, “responsible” describes being accountable and ably distinguishing between right and wrong. Rather than shining the spotlight on individuals that are betting, it’s time for sportsbook providers to be answerable for their strategic marketing practices.
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