Uncovering the Cultural Industry of Sports Betting

an experience report on an educational activity at PEPCiências

Abstract

The regulation of sports betting games in Brazil promotes advertising that uses visual and emotional strategies to attract consumers, mainly the young audience. The Cultural Industry, through its advertisements, promotes an ideology of consumption that creates a false sense of freedom for consumption. This article presents an experience report of a workshop that analyzed perceptions and developed a critical reflection on the Cultural Industry and gambling advertisements. To collect data, we used a questionnaire and observations of discussions about advertisements. The data from the workshop observations were analyzed in light of Mikhail Bakhtin's methodological framework. We found that most students are aware of the possible impacts of gambling, such as financial losses and addictions, and that advertisements encourage consumption through various mechanisms, mainly using celebrities. Students identified several motivations for gambling consumption, including paying off debts, making money, lack of employment, fun, and influences from advertisements. A portion of the participants criticized sports betting propaganda for being misleading and boring. They are seen as unnecessary and trigger responses in individuals with a history of dependence. Based on the observations of this experience report, we recognize the Harm Reduction pedagogy as an effective way to raise awareness about the consumption of betting games, considering the multiple factors and historical-cultural contexts that influence this behavior, promoting a mutually supportive dialogue without judgments.