- REGULATION & COMPLIANCE
A new report from Rightlander has revealed that the use of language encouraging risky or reckless gambling behaviours was the most common breach of marketing compliance rules across mainland Europe last year.
Data collected across its network by the monitoring and compliance business found 99,800 incidences of risky keyword infractions across Europe last year, with Rightlander arguing that the dataset “unveiled the scale and types of non-compliant marketing content found in 2023”.
Risky keyword terms are defined by Rightlander as those that could encourage risky or reckless gambling behaviours by implying that the reader of the content has ‘little to lose’ or that a specific bet might be ‘risk free’.
Content which contained life-changing terms, defined by Rightlander as language suggesting that participating in gambling activities could change players’ lives for the better, provided the second most non-compliant form of marketing in 2023, with 89,188 infractions.
Time-sensitive calls to action provided the third most frequent regulatory breach, with 59,044 recorded incidents, before the data drops down to 18,951 cases of 18-plus marketing infractions, where required indicators of adult-targeted content such as 18+ logos or symbols were missing.
Adveritising of unlicensed operators being accessible from countries where dot.country regulation is in place made up 12,091 cases, followed by 9,023 breaches of rules against marketing to self-excluded players. Rightlander also found 7,065 incidences of responsible gambling messaging being absent in jurisdictions where it was required.
Risk-free infractions and Coronavirus-related breaches presented with 6,465 and 6,158 respectively, while messaging aimed at encouraging repetition and regularity of gambling activity among players closed the data set with 1,792 incidences.
Rightlander said that the research “shows the scale of non-compliant advertisements of gambling products and services that could lead to harmful consequences”.
The UK was not included in the dataset and will be the focus of a forthcoming report from Rightlander.
See also iGB Affiliate's follow-up report on how the types of marketing infraction in Rightlander's study broke down by country in 2023,
To obtain a full copy of Rightlander's European Marketing Compliance Review on which this article is based, please contact shenaly.amin@rightlander.com