Third-person perceptions of gambling sponsorship advertising

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine perceptual and behavioural components of the third-person effect for sport sponsorship marketing communications by legalised gambling companies. Specifically, this research examines judgements about the perceived influence of gambling sponsorship on self, children, and other adults. It also investigates behavioural reactions towards the censorship of gambling sponsorship, and intentions to gamble with sponsors. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was fielded to a commercial consumer database and yielded 511 usable responses. Four hypotheses were tested to examine perceptions of the effects of gambling sponsorship on self and on others, and whether perceived differences in self/other effects influenced pro-censorship behaviours and gambling intentions. Findings – Findings reveal a range of responses to sport sponsorship by gambling companies. Some individuals view gambling sponsorship positively, they are anti-censorship, and happy to bet with sponsors. Others, who bet on sports, but have no particular allegiance to gambling sponsors, appear highly protective of children, and endorse censorship. Research limitations/implications – This study focused on the perceived impact of gambling sponsorship on other adults and on children. Future research may consider targeting more specific groups such as other sports fans, others engaged in online sports betting, or primary/secondary school age children. Originality/value – This study provides new insights on sponsorship effects, specifically public perceptions of gambling sponsorship advertising and their associated behavioural consequences.