Germany Launches Comprehensive Study on TV and Internet Gambling Ads

The German Federal Gambling Authority called the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has commissioned a wide-ranging review to measure how television and internet adverts influence gambling. The review will also assess the effect on problem gambling and vulnerable groups.

Germany to Probe Effectiveness of 2021 Gambling Ad Regulations

With a working title of “Gambling Advertising on Television and the Internet: Balancing Channeling and Addiction Prevention”, the study will look at different advertising techniques such as TV commercials, social media promotions, bonus offers and other player acquisition methods. 

The project will investigate how effective were the advertising regulations introduced by Germany’s State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) in 2021. The goal of the review is to figure out what measures have worked well while highlighting areas where improvements can be made to shield susceptible individuals from coming into contact with such ads.

Several specialist subcontractors are involved in conducting various parts of this research. Market research firm Bilendi based in Cologne along with data software provider Dynata from Hamburg will carry out empirical analysis as well as assessing effectiveness through advertisement awareness measurement. 

In addition, Professor Dr Gerhard Bühringer from TU Dresden and the Institute for Contract Communication in Berlin will undertake a structured literature review with content analysis on typical commercials. They will also address research questions and develop recommendations for action along with Noerr Partnergesellschaft mbB which is a law firm based in Düsseldorf.

Independent Panel to Oversee Germany’s Gambling Ad Study

To ensure representation of all scientific discourses, the study will be supervised by an independent panel. This panel is chaired by Prof. Dr. Markus Heinker, a professor of media economics and media policy and dean of the Media Faculty at the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, and Prof. Christian Krebs, director of the Lower Saxony State Media Authority and an honorary professor at the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media. 

Also part of GGL’s initiative is a separate assessment done by the Institute for Public Health at Bremen University which looks into the GlüStV regime as well as player protection measures adopted under that law. In 2023 they did another research where they found out that the gambling disorder prevalence rate among people aged between 18-70 was still constant at 2.4% since 2021. 

The study will last until 2026 when there shall also be a comprehensive evaluation of GlüStV provisions. However, the goal is to develop a new advertising code for gambling which can be agreed upon by individual state authorities in Germany and then turned into federal law.