Over one million gambling advertisements were aired on Australian free-to-air television and metro radio from May 2022 to April 2023.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) conducted this study using Nielsen Advertising data and found that out of the total ads shown at this time, approximately 50 percent of these advertisements were focused on online gambling operators.
These numbers seem even more significant when broken down into 51 percent of all metro free-to-air TV ads and 58 percent of regional TV ads.
The data also extended to radio recording a drop off for gambling with Metro radio featuring only 16 percent gambling ads, of which 31 percent were online gambling related.
Valuation
The total advertising spend from gambling promoters in this period reached AU$238.6 million.
Unsurprisingly, online operators accounted for 64 percent of the total spend, while lotteries, instant lotteries and raffles made up an additional 12 percent.
In terms of broadcasting revenue, Metro TV received 56 percent of the adverting investment, with social media following in second at 15 percent then regional TV at a close 12 percent with Metro radio making up a further 9 percent.
Peak times
The peak time for gambling ads on both metro and regional TV was the 9pm to 10pm slot. This was mainly influenced by legal restrictions on advertising during live sports events
In contrast, radio had a much earlier peak time of 6pm.
Limitations and context
The ACMA research did not cover other forms of advertising such as print billboards and cinemas, however, the study was not conducted to understand advertising habits from a medium perspective.
The study was aimed at contributing to the ongoing debate regarding policy and regulatory reforms related to gambling advertising in Australia.
This debate is of national significance in Australia, with over 70 percent of adults having gambled in the past 12 months leading up to July 2022.
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