Shaping the odds: gambling communication normalized betting and fostered illusions of control during EURO 2024

Major sports events, such as the UEFA European Football Championship 2024 (EURO 2024), offer gambling companies an opportunity to promote their products to large audiences. This gambling communication raises public health concerns due to its association with higher rates of gambling participation and related harm. In Belgium, gambling advertising has been restricted since 2023, raising questions about how these restrictions impact gambling communications and betting behaviours. This study investigated the extent to which viewers of EURO 2024 recall gambling communication and how this is related to their betting behaviour. Additionally, it aimed to explore how gambling fallacies mediate this relationship. Specifically, the study examined the role of individuals' perceptions of how often other people gamble (i.e. perceived descriptive norms) and the illusion of control. An online questionnaire was conducted the day after the EURO 2024 finals, targeting Belgian football fans. On average, the 1611 participants could only rarely remember viewing gambling communications during EURO 2024. Remarkably, more than half reported at least occasionally viewing sponsored social media posts, which are currently banned in Belgium. The findings demonstrated a positive relationship between recall of gambling communication and betting behaviour during EURO 2024. This relationship could be partly explained by both perceived descriptive norms and the illusion of control. The study concludes that despite regulatory measures, major sports events play a pivotal role in shaping gambling communication, fostering gambling fallacies, and ultimately increasing betting. These findings can inform health communication strategies and policy initiatives aimed at mitigating the harmful effects of gambling.