The Use of Social Media in Research on Gambling: a Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose of Review Social media enables a range of possibilities in the way gamblers and gambling operators interact and content communicate with gambling. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesise the extant literature to identify the ways in which social media has been investigated in the context of gambling. Recent Findings A systematic review of the literature identified 41 papers that collected primary data pertinent to gambling and social media from multiple disciplines. These papers broadly fell into three themes: communication, community and calculation (of sentiment). Papers on communication focused on the content of gambling advertising on social media and the impact on people exposed to it. Studies of gambling communities studied the activity and structures of discussion groups on social media concerning recreational or problematic gambling. Papers on calculation collated social media data to assess sentiment and compared it against betting odds. Summary There is an emerging multidisciplinary literature that has looked at the use of social media in relation to gambling. There is preliminary evidence that the content and the reach of gambling advertising on social media is a source of concern, particularly for younger people. The themes discussed on gambling support forums appear to be common across communities, focusing on negative emotions, recovery, addictive products and financial support. Using social media to assess sentiment appears to be particularly effective at identifying potential upsets in sporting matches. Future suggestions for research are explored.

Online Communities and Gambling Behaviors — a Systematic Review

“…These notions were also supported in this review. Also consistent with prior research [6,27,49], gambling was mostly portrayed and perceived in a positive light in various online contexts examined in this study. This perception seems to be supported in communities that engage in gambling behaviors and subsequently attract more users who have a pre-existing interest toward gambling.…”

“…There has been a huge growth in the gambling industry as well as discussion about gambling-related harms globally [4,5]. Different forms of gambling are aggressively marketed online [6,7] and much of the potential growth in gambling markets is based on the internet [8]. At the same time, internet and social media have changed how gamblers form and maintain their social relationships, and how they interact about matters related to gambling.…”

“…According to a review on online gambling and gaming communities done by Sirola et al, some online communities may normalize harmful gambling and gaming behaviors, but there are also online communities that are supporting in nature and help people cope with gambling problems [27]. Another review study [6] focused on the role of social media in gambling. The review indicates that online forums are specifically attractive to users due to their constant accessibility.…”

Wykorzystanie mediów społecznościowych w komunikacji marketingowej przez małe przedsiębiorstwa

“…Siddiqui i inni (2021) zwracają uwagę na fakt, że komunikacja za pośrednictwem poczty pantoflowej zwykle odgrywa kluczową rolę w wywieraniu i kształtowaniu postaw konsumentów i zachowań. Internet zmienił sposób, w jaki się komunikujemy (James, Bradley, 2021). Zagadnienie dotyczące efektywnego wykorzystania mediów społecznościowych jako narzędzia odpowiedzialnej i zrównoważonej polityki komunikacji przedsiębiorstwa z rynkiem jest przedmiotem intensywnych badań od ponad dekady (Gyenge et al, 2021;Lijuan, Xiangbin, 2021;Luther et al, 2017;Marušić, Vranesevic, 2021;Nuseir, Qasim, 2021).…”

Assessing the bets advertised on Twitter by gambling operators and gambling affiliates – an observational study incorporating simulation data to measure bet success

“…One type of marketing that has received increasing focus in recent times is social media marketing, with a study employing big data analytics highlighting that the five largest gambling operators in Great Britain sent over 19,000 tweets in 8 months to their 620,000 followers in the UK (Rossi et al, 2021). Given how prevalent gambling marketing is on social media, a recent systematic review aimed to explore how social media has been researched within academic literature (James & Bradley, 2021). It was highlighted that existing literature covers three domains; social media used to advertise gambling, social media used as a support mechanism for gambling and social media as a measure of public opinion on sporting events which are available to bet upon.…”