Australia: Fewer adverts, fewer addictions?
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1 Apr 2026 •
Reading time: 3 minutes
In Australia, the authorities are considering stricter restrictions on advertising following a pilot study showing a reduction in risky behaviour.
The pervasive nature of advertising has become a cause for concern
Gambling advertising has become almost unavoidable in Australia. For many observers, this saturation is no longer merely a commercial strategy, but a public health issue. Voices have been raised for several years to denounce the normalisation of gambling, particularly among young people.
The Australian authorities cite worrying data: a significant proportion of the population is regularly exposed to gambling-related promotional content. A study by the University of Central Queensland in Australia and the University of Bristol in the UK points to a clear correlation between the intensity of marketing and an increase in risky behaviour. Vulnerable individuals, particularly those already facing financial or psychological difficulties, are specifically targeted.
A game-changing scientific experiment
Researchers monitored 227 Australian gamblers over a two-week period as part of a marketing campaign experiment. The aim was to observe, under real-world conditions, the direct impact of advertising on gambling behaviour.
The participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group was deprived of all forms of direct marketing: no more promotional emails, no more incentive messages, no more bonus offers. The second group, used as a control, continued to receive these usual solicitations. Every 48 hours, the gamblers had to report on their activities: the number of bets placed, amounts spent, and any negative consequences linked to their gambling.
The study’s findings, published in the scientific journal Addiction, are particularly striking. Among participants deprived of marketing, behaviour changed significantly. The number of bets fell by 23%, whilst expenditure decreased by 39%. Short-term harms linked to gambling (financial stress, regret, personal tensions) fell by 67%.
Until now, most scientific research had merely established correlations between advertising and gambling behaviour. This time, the experiment goes further by demonstrating a cause-and-effect relationship.
Researcher Philip Newall emphasises the importance of this breakthrough:
“This study is significant because it demonstrates, for the first time, the existence of a causal link between exposure to gambling marketing and an increase in gambling-related harms in practice. Although these findings relate to direct marketing, I see no reason why identical or similar negative effects would not occur in the context of gambling advertising on television or social media.”
Despite their significance, these findings must be interpreted with caution. The researchers themselves acknowledge certain limitations. The sample, whilst representative, remains relatively small with just over 200 participants. Furthermore, the duration of the experiment does not allow for an assessment of long-term effects.
A solid basis for policy decisions
Despite these reservations, the study represents a major step forward in understanding the mechanisms of gambling. It provides policymakers with concrete arguments to justify stricter regulation of marketing. It reinforces the idea that advertising is not merely a commercial tool, but a key determinant of behaviour.