One of the few aspects of gambling and sports that the decision did radically alter is U.S. public opinion. “Americans have never been of one mind about gambling and attitudes have swung back and forth,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court then. Recent Harris Poll surveys confirm that this country still has a conflicted view of gambling and give insights into how advertisers can best navigate this tricky issue.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) believe that sports betting ought to be legal. At the same time, only 54% view sports betting positively, 58% believe that sports betting should not be widely promoted (on media such as TV and the internet) and a surprising 71% oppose sports teams partnering with sports betting companies. Professional sports leagues and media outlets can sense these conflicted attitudes, which is why they took the step of forming a coalition in the spring aimed setting up guidelines for gambling advertising, including that it does not target children.
In this regard, the nation seems to be going through a microcosmic version of its long reconciliation with alcohol after the repeal of prohibition, which involved reluctantly acknowledging that while some find alcohol unpleasant, banning its consumption is impractical. It took the country 40 years to return to pre-prohibition levels of liquor consumption.
All of this leaves a tricky environment for advertisers. Our recent research produced three insights which will help them figure out the best approach:
Attitudes are swinging toward gambling
While the U.S. remains deeply split, as noted above, betting is clearly on a hot streak. Nearly two in five gamblers (38%) placed their first sports bet in the past year, which is more than got started in the four years prior (32%) or any time before that (30%). What’s pushing people to place bets? The most oft-cited reason is making money (49% of those surveyed offered it), followed relatively closely by making watching a game more exciting (43%) and because friends are doing it (42%).
The first reason seems both baked into gambling and not an aspect to stress in gambling advertisements, since not for nothing is the operative phrase “the house always wins.” But those wishing to broaden the activity’s appeal can lean in on the socially oriented reasons of boosting the fun of watching a game and doing something one’s friends are also doing. In fact, 88% of Americans agreed betting on a game makes it more fun to watch.
from Digital Marketing Education https://ift.tt/Ku7wH5q
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