Sports fans spend up to 20% of every game watching gambling ads

Gambling-related messages fill up to 21% of each live stream on average. The review examined seven games, including five NHL games and two NBA games, that were broadcast live between October 25 and 29. The research team reviewed about three hours of film for each game and also reviewed each pregame program, which typically lasted half an hour. A total of 3,537 gambling-related messages were recorded across all broadcasts, and an average of 2.8 were viewed per minute, accounting for one-fifth of viewing time.

Jamie Whitson, a gambling researcher at the University of Bristol and one of the authors of the study, said: "It is shocking that audiences are exposed to this amount of gambling-related messages while watching the game." More than 90 percent of these logos or references were found directly on the field, field, or sidelines. These results raise concerns about the impact of these ads on people at risk of gambling addiction. A number of countries and states have taken steps to restrict gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts.

For example, England has completely banned gambling ads during live football broadcasts. In Canada, the Quebec Gaming Commission has imposed restrictions on gambling advertising during live sports since 2019. These restrictions include banning gambling ads during the first half of games, as well as banning the use of images of young players in gambling ads.

However, these restrictions do not apply at the federal level and may vary from state to state. As the number of people who become addicted to gambling is increasing, more measures need to be taken to protect people from the effects of these advertisements. Some of the proposals include a complete ban on gambling ads during live sports broadcasts, raising awareness of the dangers of gambling and providing support services for people who are addicted to gambling.

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