ICE Research Study Addresses Gaming Advertising

ICE Research Institute, an initiative jointly supported by ICE Barcelona producer WorldGaming (formerly Clarion Gaming) and FIRA Barcelona, has funded a study on gambling sustainability which argues that media narratives surrounding gambling may contribute to increased stigma, which in turn actively exacerbates and intensifies harmful behaviors.

The research project, “Social Representations and Stigma Surrounding Gambling in Contemporary Spain,” led by Director of Episteme Social Dr. David Pere Martínez Oró, analyzed 726 Spanish newspaper articles published between 2011 and 2024. It argues that the way gambling is portrayed in the media, in particular if positioned as an individual failing, can have profound consequences for the vulnerable and for those experiencing gambling-related problems.

“Paradoxically, stigma can intensify harmful behavior,” Oró wrote. “By treating gambling as a deviant behavior rather than a regulated leisure practice, stigma pushes vulnerable players to the margins, where the risks are greater and the protective factors are weaker. Stigma has behavioral consequences, and when gambling is framed as a moral failure, individuals are more likely to feel shame and hide their behavior.”

Highlighting gender differences, he noted, “The underlying moral narrative characterized by risk, irresponsibility and loss of control does impact women differently in cultural terms. Women players are more easily judged as ‘bad mothers’ or ‘inadequate caregivers’ whereas men are framed as being ‘reckless’ or ‘weak.’ Although the media do not stigmatize women more quantitatively, the social cost of stigma can be higher for them because it clashes with traditional gender expectations.”

Oró cautioned that simply increasing social acceptance of gambling will not eliminate stigma. He notes that without changes to regulation, education and media framing, stigma will remain embedded in cultural narratives, an argument that applies to even the most tolerant societies.

In terms of how the research will be used, he said, “I hope the results will inform policy recommendations, industry standards and communication strategies to move from a narrow model of responsible gambling toward a more effective framework of shared responsibility and one that distributes obligations among regulators, the industry, media, communities and players, reducing harm without producing stigma.”