Gambling advertising at EM 2024: Rapid increase and dangerous consequences!

Gambling advertising at EM 2024: Rapid increase and dangerous consequences!

Gambling advertising in Germany reveals a worrying picture, especially in the context of major sporting events. A current study of the University of Hohenheim analyzed advertising during the 2024 European Football Championship and found an average of more than 15 minutes of gambling advertising per game. This highlights the problematic presence of betting providers in sport and raises questions about the responsibility and effectiveness of prevention measures.

Federal Drug Commissioner Burkhard Blienert commented on the inadequate government initiatives to prevent gambling addiction. Every year, bettors in Germany lose over 1.4 billion euros, while betting providers invest hundreds of times more in advertising than in prevention measures. These numbers highlight the disparity that is often ignored in the public discourse about the dangers of gambling.

Increasing gambling problem

The dangers of gambling are far-reaching. The publication of the “Glücksspielatlas Deutschland 2023” describes that around one in thirteen gamblers develop health, financial or social problems. These problems can lead to serious consequences such as family disruption. The statistical information in the atlas, compiled by experts from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research and the University of Bremen, presents the challenges in the gambling sector. The atlas contains data on player and youth protection, the size of the gambling market and the number of people affected.

According to the latest findings, 2.3% of the population in Germany have a gambling disorder, which corresponds to around 1.3 million people. The high prevalence is particularly striking among slot machine players, where 40% are affected by gambling disorders. Blienert highlights that better measures against illegal gambling and excessive advertising are urgently needed to address the situation.

Effective protective measures and their challenges

The study also shows that the demand for outpatient help for people who gamble online has increased over the last five years. The Gambling regulators continuously carry out comprehensive analyzes of the gambling market and initiate research projects to evaluate the effectiveness of player protection regulations. These efforts are critical to making the gaming landscape safer and ensuring that gaming operators fulfill their mandates to protect players.

In this context, Blienert emphasizes the need for prevention as the most important tool against gambling addiction. Before major sporting events, bookmakers dramatically increase their advertising budgets, further complicating the challenge of ensuring player protection. The investigation into the social media presence of betting providers during the Euro 2024 revealed an enormous number of up to 200 posts per provider, which further underlines the omnipresence of gambling advertising.

Ultimately, it remains to be said that a comprehensive and effective approach to the gaming market in Germany is required. The various institutions that were involved in creating the gambling atlas, such as the German Central Office for Addiction Issues, are doing valuable work to inform the public about the risks and offers of help. The results of these studies are accessible free of charge via the websites of the respective institutions and are intended to serve as a basis for future political and social discussions.