An Investigation into Smart Marketing Tactics and the use of Sponsorship by the Gambling Industry to Determine the effect it has on Young Irish Males Motivation to Gamble and the Emotional Attachment it Withholds

Dillon, Cheryll (2020) An Investigation into Smart Marketing Tactics and the use of Sponsorship by the Gambling Industry to Determine the effect it has on Young Irish Males Motivation to Gamble and the Emotional Attachment it Withholds. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Online gambling is an extremely popular outlet for users to be involved and it has quickly become a global phenomenon as they are involved in games of chance for monetary amounts in return (Fulton, 2015). Online users can engage in betting services through a variety of gaming options. There are many alluring entities to this industry, yet it can also have detrimental effects on an individual leading them down a self-deceiving cycle of devastating results in some cases. This paper aims to highlight new and interesting findings relating to youth gambling between the ages of (18-24) across Ireland, through measuring the affects that smart marketing tactics have on three distinct groups of individuals. These groups are divided into
(i) “Occasional Gambler” – rarely involved in the industry within, yet still has a betting profile.
(ii) “Moderate” – a moderate gambler, often involved in bet wagering (couple of times a month) has an active betting profile.
(iii) “Vulnerable” – A consumer in which is betting multiple times a week.
The objective of this study is to investigate how the Irish gambling industry, encourages young Irish male users to become repeat customers using social media and smart marketing tactics. Posing a question:

“Are young males (18-24) in Ireland being mentally shaped by the gambling industry through
the use of smart marketing tactics in order to become gamblers for life?”

Method:
The researcher will be conducting a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews over a three-month period. The researcher aims to discover how marketing tactics influence individuals from each of the named reference groups.

Results:
Most respondents recalled sponsorship deals currently promoted by the gambling industry highlighting how it is influential for many consumers including adolescents. Advertising messages in which incorporate emotional appeals gather the most attention from consumers in which encourage call to actions and brand recall, highlighting their the most influential for the chosen age demographic. Research highlighted that promotional advertisements generate high level of involvement yet can be deemed as bombardment from the industry.

Conclusions:
There is clear evidence that promotional incentives are a driver of motivation for users within the 18-24 age demographic within Ireland. Highlighting that regulatory change is needed to protect vulnerable consumers from the tactics used by the industry.

Keywords:
Gambling, Bet Wagering, Advertising, Emotional Appeals, Marketing Campaigns, Sponsorship, Sport, Addictive Consumption, Chasing Losses.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Marketing > Advertising > Endorsements in advertising H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Marketing
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Science in Marketing
Depositing User:	Dan English
Date Deposited:	08 Feb 2021 13:52
Last Modified:	08 Feb 2021 13:52
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/4695

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