Advertising in Traditional Media and Gambling Behaviours in Young Adults

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17231/comsoc.50(2026).6736

Keywords:

traditional media advertising, point-of-sale advertising, advertising exposure, gambling behaviours

Abstract

The proliferation of gambling advertising across various media formats raises urgent concerns about its potential impact on gambling behaviours. With the growing use of and investment in digital advertising, traditional advertising channels, once central to communication strategies, have assumed an increasingly peripheral role in debates over advertising effects. This study aims to address that gap by examining perceived exposure to gambling advertising in traditional media and point-of-sale promotion. The analysis focuses on EuroMillions and Scratchcards, two of the most popular forms of gambling in Portugal, drawing on a representative sample of young adult gamblers. The objective is to understand the player profiles for each of these gambling modalities and to what extent exposure to traditional media advertising and point-of-sale communication is associated with the frequency of participation in these games. Although Scratchcards and EuroMillions attract relatively similar player profiles, some differences persist, particularly in terms of gender and age. The results indicate that television remains the main source of perceived gambling advertising exposure among young adult gamblers, with significant gender- and age-related differences in perceived exposure to radio ads, outdoor advertising, and point-of-sale promotions. Furthermore, EuroMillions players who report higher exposure to radio and point-of-sale advertising show a slightly increased tendency to engage in more frequent gambling practices. This study contributes to broader, critical reflection on the effects of gambling advertising on a vulnerable group, highlighting the need to include traditional media advertising in the ongoing public health and gambling regulation policy debate.

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Author Biographies

  • Cláudia Silvestre, Centro de Estatística e Aplicações, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal/Laboratório de Investigação Aplicada em Comunicação e Media, Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Cláudia Silvestre has a PhD in Quantitative Methods from the Lisbon University Institute. She is a lecturer at the School of Communication and Media Studies, a board member and researcher at the Laboratory of Applied Research in Communication and Media at the Polytechnic University of Lisbon, a researcher at the Center for Statistics and Applications (University of Lisbon), and a member of research projects related to the development of online courses funded by the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon. Cláudia Silvestre is the coordinator of the Statistics Department, sub-coordinator of the bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Marketing, and Eco-Schools Council coordinator. She teaches Statistics Applied to Communications and develops research, publishes scientific articles, and book chapters in the area. Her research interests include statistical literacy, data analysis, and unsupervised learning.

  • Ana Cristina Antunes, Laboratório de Investigação Aplicada em Comunicação e Media, Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ana Cristina Antunes has a PhD in Psychology. She is a lecturer at the School of Communication and Media Studies and a researcher at the Laboratory of Applied Research in Communication and Media at the Polytechnic University of Lisbon. Over recent years, her research interests have expanded from organisational psychology and positive organisational behaviour to encompass social media communication and engagement, user experience, consumer behaviour, and ageing. Ana Cristina Antunes has served as a coordinator and principal investigator on research projects and a team member on scientific projects related to gambling, social media communication, and ageing. Besides publishing in international journals and edited volumes, she also contributes to academic publishing as part of the editorial team and as a member of the scientific commission of several journals.

  • Ana Rita Farias, Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Universidade Lusófona, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ana Rita Farias completed her PhD in Psychology in December 2013 from the Lisbon University Institute. She is currently an auxiliary researcher and professor at the Digital Human-Environment Interaction Lab. Throughout her career, she has held research positions and served as a guest researcher in various psychology and business and economics departments, including Utrecht University (The Netherlands), University of Wisconsin (United States of America), Católica Lisbon Research Unit in Business and Economics, and the Center for Economics and Finance at the University of Porto. She began her research career focusing on social psychology, specifically multimodal perception and the situated approach to human cognition. In recent years, she has shifted her research focus from pure psychology to behavioural economics. Ana Rita Farias has led and collaborated on several research projects funded by both national and international agencies.

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Published

2026-07-27

Issue

Vol. 50 (2026): Communication and Conflicts

Section

Varia

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Copyright (c) 2026 Cláudia Silvestre, Ana Cristina Antunes, Ana Rita Farias

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How to Cite

Advertising in Traditional Media and Gambling Behaviours in Young Adults. (2026). Comunicação E Sociedade, 50, e026014. https://doi.org/10.17231/comsoc.50(2026).6736

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