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An Experimental Study to Examine Whether and How Flemish and Dutch Harm Prevention Messages on Gambling Advertising Affect Consumers’ Gambling-Related Beliefs and Intentions

American Psychological Association
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
Authors:
Steffi De Jans at Ghent University
Steffi De Jans
Veroline Cauberghe at Ghent University
Veroline Cauberghe
Liselot Hudders at Ghent University
Liselot Hudders
Fran Rys at Ghent University
Fran Rys
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Abstract

Objective: Despite the widespread use of harm prevention messages on gambling advertising, it is unclear whether such messages achieve their goal of encouraging safer gambling behavior and preventing gambling harms. The current research therefore investigates whether and how existing harm prevention messages implemented on gambling advertisements in Belgium and the Netherlands affect consumers’ gambling-related beliefs and intentions. Method: Two experimental studies (Nexperiment 1 = 169; Nexperiment 2 = 212) investigate (a) the influence of message prominence and (b) the impact of message framing by comparing the effectiveness of the message “Gamble in moderation” with different types of Flemish and Dutch harm prevention messages (that are currently used in Belgium and the Netherlands) on people’s gambling-related beliefs and intentions. Results: The results of the first experiment show that although the size of a harm prevention message may increase message recognition, it does not affect the message’s efficacy. In addition, the second experiment shows that the harm prevention message “Gamble in moderation” increases normative perceptions of gambling (vs. no message), and even enhances gambling intentions among at-risk gamblers compared to no message and other commonly used harm prevention messages. In contrast, exposure to the harm prevention message “What does gambling cost you? Stop in time” makes at-risk gamblers think most about the harms of gambling. Conclusions: Current harm prevention messages on gambling advertising often promote the concept of responsible gambling, but can have opposite effects than intended, especially among at-risk gamblers.
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An Experimental Study to Examine Whether and How Flemish and
Dutch Harm Prevention Messages on Gambling Advertising Affect
Consumers’Gambling-Related Beliefs and Intentions
SteffiDe Jans, Veroline Cauberghe, Liselot Hudders, and Fran Rys
Department of Communication Sciences, Ghent University
Objective: Despite the widespread use of harm prevention messages on gambling advertising, it is unclear
whether such messages achieve their goal of encouraging safer gambling behavior and preventing gambling
harms. The current research therefore investigates whether and how existing harm prevention messages
implemented on gambling advertisements in Belgium and the Netherlands affect consumers’gambling-
related beliefs and intentions. Method: Two experimental studies (N
experiment 1
=169; N
experiment 2
=212)
investigate (a) the influence of message prominence and (b) the impact of message framing by comparing
the effectiveness of the message “Gamble in moderation”with different types of Flemish and Dutch harm
prevention messages (that are currently used in Belgium and the Netherlands) on people’s gambling-related
beliefs and intentions. Results: The results of the first experiment show that although the size of a harm
prevention message may increase message recognition, it does not affect the message’sefficacy. In addition,
the second experiment shows that the harm prevention message “Gamble in moderation”increases
normative perceptions of gambling (vs. no message), and even enhances gambling intentions among at-risk
gamblers compared to no message and other commonly used harm prevention messages. In contrast,
exposure to the harm prevention message “What does gambling cost you? Stop in time”makes at-risk
gamblers think most about the harms of gambling. Conclusions: Current harm prevention messages on
gambling advertising often promote the concept of responsible gambling, but can have opposite effects than
intended, especially among at-risk gamblers.
Public Health Significance Statement
This study indicates that current harm prevention messages implemented on gambling advertising, that
focus on promoting the concept of responsible gambling, may normalize gambling and even encourage
gambling behavior among at-risk gamblers.
Keywords: gambling advertising, gambling marketing, harm prevention messages, message prominence,
message frame
Concerns are being raised about the increase in gambling
participation rates and problematic gambling behaviors. Especially
online gambling activities have gained popularity in the last
decades. For example, in the Netherlands, online gambling grew
from 1.5 million people gambling online in 2015 to over 1.8 million
in 2018 (Statista, 2021). In the first half of 2022, the Dutch gambled
486 million Euro online, which was more than expected after the
online gambling market was legalized in 2021 (Nederlandse
Omproep Stichting, 2022). Also in Belgium, gambling is a popular
leisure activity. The National Health Interview Survey of 2018
showed that 31% of the Belgian population from 15 years and older
gambled at least once that year (Gisle & Drieskens, 2018). It is
important to note that the COVID-19 crisis and related lockdowns
even accelerated the demand for online gambling worldwide
(Emond et al., 2022;Research & Markets, 2020).
These increasing gambling participation rates may be fueled by
the omnipresence of the promotion of gambling, via for example,
sponsored posts on social media, sports sponsoring, TV commer-
cials, and online banners (De Jans et al., 2023). Indeed, gambling
advertising is considered a major contextual factor contributing to
gambling participation (Shaffer et al., 2004) and problematic
gambling (Hanss et al., 2015;Hing et al., 2015). Several studies
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
SteffiDe Jans https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2733-353X
This work was funded by Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Grant
12R9222N) awarded to SteffiDe Jans.
SteffiDe Jans played a lead role in formal analysis, funding acquisition,
investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, visualiza-
tion, and writing–original draft and an equal role in conceptualization.
Veroline Cauberghe played a supporting role in funding acquisition
and writing–original draft and an equal role in conceptualization.
Liselot Hudders played a supporting role in funding acquisition and
writing–original draft and an equal role in conceptualization. Fran Rys
played a supporting role in conceptualization, investigation, and
methodology.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to SteffiDe
Jans, Department of Communication Sciences, Ghent University, Sint-
Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Email: Steffi.DeJans@UGent.be
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
© 2023 American Psychological Association 2023, Vol. 37, No. 6, 771–784
ISSN: 0893-164X https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000951
771
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... Though speculative, the experience of cognitive dissonance and rationalising continued gambling due to the anticipated emotional benefits may maintain positive attitudes at higher levels of problem gambling risk and is worth exploring further in public health and clinical contexts. When the immediate perceived benefits of gambling outweigh the perceived losses, positive attitudes may remain entrenched and resistant to conventional harm reduction messaging (De Jans et al., 2023;Delfabbro & King, 2020). Strategies aimed at changing attitudes may do well to induce dissonance (e.g., Wan & Chiou, 2010), and educate gamblers on the tendency to resolve cognitive dissonance through rationalisation, which may be delivered as part of a completement of techniques that constitute just-in-time adaptive interventions that incorporate dynamic tailoring (Dowling et al., 2023). ...
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