ICAD video conference - "Advertising and gambling"
"Advertising and gambling" was the theme of the ICAD, I.P. videoconference held on 8 May, which was attended by 254 participants.
The guest speakers were: Luís Vasconcelos, who has a degree and a master's in Social Anthropology from ISCTE, Lisbon, and a doctorate in Science from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. He is currently working on the study of pathological gambling and is a member of the Statistics and Research Unit of the Research, Monitoring and Communication Department at ICAD, I.P.; Margarida Vaz, with a degree in Business Organisation and Management. She has been a gaming inspector for 23 years and currently advises the management of SIRJ - Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos, in the economic, financial and auditing areas; Pedro Morgado, PhD in Medicine from the University of Minho, Associate Professor with Aggregation at the School of Medicine of the University of Minho. He has been the Regional Mental Health Coordinator for the North and a member of the National Mental Health Coordination since January 2022. He is a specialist doctor at the Psychiatry Service of Braga Hospital and a researcher at the Life Sciences and Health Research Institute (ICVS) and the 2CA-Braga Academic Clinical Centre; and Carla Frazão, a social worker, has been working in the CAD area since 1996. She currently works at the CRI Lisboa Ocidental, Sintra Centre, and at the Prevention and Health Promotion Unit in the Integrated Intervention Department of ICAD, I.P.
The moderator was Alcina Correia, who has a master's degree in Sociology of Work, Organisations and Employment, a degree in Work Psychology, a Family Therapist and is currently director of the Research, Monitoring and Information Department at ICAD, I.P.
The aim of this videoconference was to promote a moment of reflection on the subject, to improve literacy about advertising, its origins, influence, impact and strategies for empowering citizens, especially young people, to reverse the less desirable impacts.
Manuel Cardoso, member of the Board of Directors of ICAD, I.P., in his welcome remarks, mentioned three components that he considers essential when addressing the topic of this videoconference: how advertising influences behaviour; advertising models, especially online, digital and promoted by influncers; and legislation on gambling, which he described as scarce and biased. He advocated a ban on gambling advertising, as is the case in some European countries, and the need to present proposals to the government on regulating advertising.
Before giving the floor to the speakers, Alcina Correia framed the topic with the epidemiological data available from the most recent studies promoted or carried out at ICAD, which allow a characterisation of cash gamblers, prevalence, age groups, patterns of use, problem gamblers and pathological gamblers, and data on seeking treatment and support.
Luís Vasconcelos gave a general historical context on the normalisation of gambling and the conditions that made the publicity that is dedicated to it today possible. The demonisation of gambling in the transition between the 19th and 20th centuries; the changes that took place up until the 1980s, which made gambling more visible and acceptable; and the normalisation of gambling that took place in the last two decades of the last century, were all aspects that he developed.
Pedro Morgado addressed gambling disorder and what the evidence says about the impact of advertising on gambling behaviour. Considering that gambling should not necessarily be seen as a negative human activity, he explained the differences between problem gambling and pathological gambling. With regard to the latter, he pointed out some of the cognitive dysfunctions it causes in individuals. More advertising means more participation in gambling, and the new reality brought to advertising by influencers, who make gambling more attractive, especially for young people between the ages of 12 and 16, were two examples of what the evidence brings us. In terms of the future, he advocated greater access to treatment for gambling disorders and the need to protect policies and regulations from commercial influence.
Margarida Vaz presented the regulator's perspective, in terms of what is stipulated in the law, the permissions and limitations for advertisers, and the existing oversight mechanisms. In her more in-depth reference to Article 21 of the Advertising Law, she argued that it is short and requires a legislative change, not least because it does not encompass the phenomenon of social networks. After stating that the problem is illegal gambling, because it can't be regulated, he said that the success rate of online regulation is minimal.
Carla Frazão explained the development of preventive interventions aimed at resisting advertising, the different sources of advertising and their respective impacts, and how ICAD, I.P. and organisations working more in the area of demand reduction work with younger audiences in particular. He began by considering that prevention in this area has been blazing trails and argued that working on the information component in isolation is not effective and that, on the contrary, it should be worked on in an integrated way, in programmes and projects, of which he gave some examples. He stressed the importance of training young people in critical activity and working with families.
The series of videoconferences will continue shortly.
Watch or review it HERE .