Monthly Archives: October 2026

Short but Powerful: ‘Micro Ads’ Drive Engagement and Customer Response

In an age of shrinking attention spans and fast-moving social media feeds, advertisers may not need more time to win over consumers. New research suggests that advertisements lasting just 10 seconds or less can generate stronger and more immediate consumer responses than longer, more elaborate commercials.

The study was led by Professor Inyoung Chae of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), working with Professor Beth L. Fossen of Indiana University and Professor Philip Kim of Texas Christian University. Their research examined the effectiveness of ultra-short “micro ads” and found that brevity can be a significant advantage when the goal is to prompt consumers to take immediate action online.

Using a multimethod approach, the researchers analysed television advertising data and conducted a field experiment involving social media advertisements for a nonprofit organisation. Across both settings, micro ads proved particularly effective at encouraging consumers to click, search, visit websites and engage with online content.

The television data showed a striking difference. Ads lasting 10 seconds or less increased website visits within five minutes of airing by between 10% and 40% compared with longer advertisements. Micro ads also outperformed traditional 30-second commercials, generating 13% to 28% more immediate website traffic. On social media, shorter ads similarly attracted more clicks, likes and shares, even when they contained the same information as longer versions.

Why can saying less accomplish more? The researchers point to “impatience” among modern media users as an important part of the explanation. Consumers accustomed to rapidly scrolling through content often want to reach conclusions quickly. Longer advertisements require more time and attention, increasing the chance that viewers will become bored, distracted or move on before reaching the main message.

The researchers tested this explanation by encouraging some participants to think about the future before viewing the advertisements, a prompt designed to encourage greater patience. Under those conditions, the advantage enjoyed by micro ads disappeared. The finding suggests that short advertisements work especially well because they fit the preference of impatient viewers for information that can be understood quickly and with relatively little effort.

Not all short ads were equally effective, however. Micro ads performed particularly well when the brand name appeared early rather than being withheld until later. Language that created a sense of anticipation also helped drive website traffic. Together, the findings suggest that advertisers should not simply shorten existing commercials, but carefully design brief messages to deliver important information quickly while giving viewers a reason to act.

The findings could have significant practical implications as companies face rising advertising production and placement costs. Micro ads are generally cheaper to produce and can reduce the cost of television advertising, potentially allowing companies to reach and engage more consumers with the same budget. Published in the Journal of Marketing, the study adds new evidence that in an increasingly short-form media environment, a few well-designed seconds may sometimes be more valuable than a much longer sales pitch.

More information: Beth L. Fossen et al, The Impact of Ad Length on Ad Effectiveness: Do Micro Ads Work? Journal of Marketing. DOI: 10.1177/00222429251350657

Journal information: Journal of Marketing Provided by Sungkyunkwan University External Affairs Division (PR team)

How “Algorithmic Monoculture” Plays Out Depends on the Details

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Artificial intelligence is quietly becoming a gatekeeper in many parts of everyday life. From deciding which job applicants make it through an initial screening to helping lenders assess borrowers, algorithms are increasingly influencing who gets opportunities — sometimes before a human decision-maker ever enters the picture.

That growing reliance on automated decision-making has raised concerns about what researchers call “algorithmic monoculture”: a situation in which many organisations rely on the same algorithm to make similar decisions. Critics worry that if one hiring algorithm rejects a candidate, for example, the same person could face rejection everywhere the algorithm is used.

But researchers at MIT argue that algorithmic monoculture is not necessarily harmful in every situation. After examining several common objections through mathematical models and simulations, they found that many of the potential problems depend heavily on how the algorithm is designed, how accurate it is and where it is being used. The research appears in Philosophical Perspectives.

“A trend toward algorithmic monoculture is a realistic scenario, and a really important issue that is being brought about by the use of AI, but it is hard to say in the abstract whether monoculture would be a bad thing,” says study co-author Brian Hedden, a professor at MIT. “It depends on the details.”

One frequently cited concern is systematic exclusion. If companies use the same hiring algorithm, applicants rejected by one employer might also be rejected by others. Yet the researchers found that monoculture does not necessarily reduce the overall number of people hired. In some circumstances, it could even strengthen applicants’ bargaining power because employers may find themselves competing for the same candidates, potentially driving up wages.

Other concerns also depend on how a system operates. A monoculture could limit applicants’ ability to adapt if the same résumé is automatically circulated among employers. But that problem could be reduced if candidates are allowed to revise and resubmit their applications. Similarly, although a common algorithm might encourage people to “game” the system, the researchers note that applicants could also try to exploit several different algorithms in a more diverse system.

A potentially more serious problem involves what the researchers describe as informational echo chambers. Independent decision-makers can benefit from the “wisdom of crowds,” with different approaches uncovering candidates that others overlook. If every employer uses the same system, hiring decisions may become increasingly similar, reducing experimentation and discovery. Introducing some randomness into an algorithm could help preserve exploration.

Accuracy may ultimately be crucial. A single highly effective algorithm could sometimes outperform several weaker ones. The researchers found that an “ensemble algorithm,” combining the assessments of multiple hiring algorithms into one system, could in some simulations perform as well as or better than a system in which employers use different algorithms. Whether such an approach would work effectively in the real world remains uncertain. The researchers say more empirical work is needed to understand when algorithmic monoculture creates risks — and when sharing a common system might actually offer advantages.

More information: Brian Hedden et al, Algorithmic Monoculture and Its Critics, Philosophical Perspectives. DOI: 10.1111/phpe.70018

Journal information: Philosophical Perspectives Provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Making AI Work for Marketers Without Replacing Human Judgment

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Artificial intelligence can produce dozens of marketing messages in seconds, but deciding which one will actually connect with customers remains a much harder task. New research from Penn State suggests businesses can get more value from AI by combining its speed and creative capacity with lessons from past campaigns — and the judgment of experienced marketers.

Wreetabrata “Wreeto” Kar, assistant professor of marketing at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, and his co-authors developed a framework that uses a company’s previous marketing results to evaluate newly generated AI content. Rather than relying solely on expensive and time-consuming testing, the approach helps marketers identify promising material before it reaches customers. The study was published in the Journal of Marketing Research.

AI is already becoming part of nearly every stage of marketing. Beyond drafting emails, advertisements, social media posts and product descriptions, the technology can generate images and videos, brainstorm campaign ideas, analyse markets, segment customers and personalise messages. Some businesses are also using AI to anticipate customer behaviour and automate parts of the customer journey.

That productivity, however, creates a new problem: too many choices. A marketer who once produced one email might now generate 50 versions in the same amount of time. AI can create those alternatives quickly, but it does not necessarily know which one will work for a particular business or audience. A polished, persuasive message may still fail to produce results.

Kar and his colleagues address that problem by teaching AI to learn from a company’s marketing history. The system converts the meaning of previous messages into numerical representations, effectively placing them on a map. Messages with similar meanings appear close together, even when they use different words, allowing the model to recognise relationships that simpler word-counting techniques might miss.

When a new message is created, the system compares it with previous campaigns. If it resembles messages that performed well, the model can estimate that it may also succeed. If the content is unlike anything the company has tried before, the system signals greater uncertainty and recommends traditional testing. This allows businesses to reserve A/B testing for genuinely new ideas rather than testing every variation.

The researchers also found an important limit to AI’s abilities. When an AI model was asked not only to generate marketing emails but also to select its own five best messages, its choices were predicted to perform poorly. The finding suggests that generating content and deciding what will work are distinct tasks — and that AI should not necessarily be trusted to judge its own output.

That leaves marketers firmly in the decision-making process. They determine the ingredients AI uses, decide how much experimentation and risk are acceptable, and make the final selection from the strongest candidates. In this model, AI handles much of the labour-intensive work of generating and analysing content, while people contribute business knowledge, context and judgment. As AI dramatically expands the number of possibilities available to marketers, those human skills may become more important, not less.

More information: Paul Ellickson et al, Evaluating Novel Unstructured Treatments with Generative AI: A Causal Prediction Framework, Journal of Marketing Research. DOI: 10.1177/00222437261476639

Journal information: Journal of Marketing Research Provided by Penn State

Consumers Associate Shorter Shelf Life with Healthier, More Natural Foods: UBC Research

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Nutrition experts have long warned about the health risks associated with eating too many ultra-processed foods, including obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while encouraging people to choose more natural foods. But how do shoppers decide whether a food is natural? New research from the UBC Sauder School of Business suggests many consumers use a surprisingly simple clue: shelf life.

The study, Naturalness against environment-friendliness: The impact of shelf life on food perceptions and purchase decisions, found that consumers tend to view foods with shorter shelf lives as more natural and healthier, even when shelf life is not a reliable indicator of either. At the same time, products with longer shelf lives are often seen as more environmentally friendly because they are less likely to be wasted.

In one experiment, participants compared potato chips with five-month and nine-month shelf lives. They rated the five-month chips as more natural and healthier, while viewing the longer-lasting chips as better for reducing food waste. In another experiment involving pasta sauces, nearly 70 per cent chose the sauce with a one-year shelf life when researchers emphasized naturalness. When environmental protection was emphasized, only 43 per cent chose it.

The preference persisted even when researchers explained why a product lasted longer. Participants were told that one mayonnaise had a longer shelf life solely because of a high-performance seal, yet those focused on naturalness still preferred the shorter-lasting product. Similarly, when two granola bars had almost identical ingredients and nutritional information, consumers continued to favour the one with the shorter shelf life.

Researchers believe consumers are using shelf life as a mental shortcut for judging naturalness. “We provide ingredient lists. We provide nutritional facts. But it’s a lot to process,” explains UBC Sauder Associate Professor Dr. Yann Cornil, who co-authored the study with Dr. Dan Liu of Jinan University and Dr. Xiaobing Xu of Hainan University. Instead, shoppers may rely on cues such as shelf life, packaging and marketing.

The findings are particularly relevant as ultra-processed foods make up a substantial portion of modern diets. Roughly 46 per cent of Canadians’ daily caloric intake comes from ultra-processed foods, compared with about 55 per cent in the United States. Dr. Cornil says consumers increasingly associate “natural” foods with healthiness and often assume that products lasting longer have undergone more processing.

While that assumption can sometimes be correct, it is not always so. Advances in packaging can significantly extend shelf life without changing a food’s ingredients or nutritional value. “Foods with a longer shelf life could be just as good, and just as healthy and natural,” says Dr. Cornil. Yet consumers may still avoid them because they associate longevity with artificial processing.

That perception can have unintended environmental consequences. By choosing foods with shorter shelf lives, consumers may increase the likelihood that products spoil before they are eaten, contributing to unnecessary food waste. The researchers say the study demonstrates a tension between consumers’ desire for natural foods and their environmental goals, while highlighting how strongly shelf life can influence purchasing decisions—even when shoppers are given information showing that their assumptions may be misleading.

More information: Dan Liu et al, Naturalness against environment-friendliness: The impact of shelf life on food perceptions and purchase decisions, Journal of Consumer Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/jcpy.70034

Journal information: Journal of Consumer Psychology Provided by University of British Columbia

Social Media May Make Investors More Confident, but Not More Accurate

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Investment advice is only a scroll away. But new research from the University of Georgia suggests that relying on social media for financial information may leave some investors feeling more knowledgeable than they actually are. The study found a notable gap between how confident social media users felt about investing and how much they actually knew.

Researchers found that people who relied on social media to guide investment decisions reported high confidence in their knowledge, yet struggled with basic questions about topics such as stocks and short selling. By contrast, people who obtained investment information from traditional media, including newspapers, magazines, television and radio, tended to have both greater confidence and stronger actual knowledge.

“Basically, we find that when people are using social media, it increases their confidence but not their real knowledge,” said Swarn Chatterjee, a professor of financial planning, housing and consumer economics and corresponding author of the study. Xiaoyuan Sun, the study’s first author, noted that social media users may encounter plenty of investment information without developing a deeper understanding of how investments work or whether a particular product suits their needs.

To examine whether investors’ confidence matched their knowledge, researchers analysed data from two national surveys involving more than 2,500 U.S. adults with investments outside retirement accounts. Participants rated their investment knowledge on a scale from one to seven and then answered 11 multiple-choice questions covering stocks, bonds, risk and return, index funds, short selling and options.

More than one in four respondents said they used social media for investment information, while about one in five relied on it when deciding which stocks to invest in. Platforms included YouTube, Facebook, Reddit and TikTok, as well as online groups and message boards. By comparison, nearly 75% of respondents used traditional media as a source of investment information.

Social media users also tended to trade more frequently than those who preferred traditional media. Chatterjee suggested that fear of missing out, or FOMO, may contribute to this behaviour. Constant exposure to discussions about the “next big” stock or investment opportunity can create pressure to act quickly before an apparent opportunity disappears.

Still, the researchers emphasised that social media is not necessarily bad for investors. Online platforms can make financial information more accessible and less intimidating, potentially opening investing to people who might otherwise find it difficult to understand. However, accessibility does not guarantee accuracy or completeness. Unlike regulated financial professionals, virtually anyone online can offer financial opinions, and short posts or videos may leave out important details.

The researchers recommend treating social media as a starting point rather than the final word. Investors should question what they see, verify information through reliable sources and consider professional guidance before making significant financial decisions. Chatterjee compared online investment advice to searching the internet for medical information: it can provide useful background, but important decisions deserve further verification. “Investment knowledge still matters,” he said. “Proceed with caution.” The study was published in the International Journal of Bank Marketing.

More information: Xiaoyuan Sun et al, From media exposure to trading behavior: evidence from social media, traditional media and investor knowledge, International Journal of Bank Marketing. DOI: 10.1108/IJBM-01-2026-0001

Journal information: International Journal of Bank Marketing Provided by University of Georgia

Climate Risk Could Soon Join Energy Performance in Shaping Your Mortgage

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Few consumers realise that a property’s energy performance can affect their ability to obtain a mortgage. In the future, climate-related threats such as floods, wildfires and extreme heat could also play a greater role in lending decisions, potentially influencing whether properties qualify for financing and the terms borrowers receive.

Researchers at Aalto University interviewed 25 green finance experts from major European banks and real estate advisory firms. They found that a high energy rating can help borrowers qualify for green lending and other financial benefits, while properties with poor ratings may be harder to finance. “For people taking out a mortgage, or considering buying a home, it is important to understand that the environmental performance of the property already affects banks’ lending decisions and loan terms,” says Seppo Junnila, Professor of Real Estate Economics at Aalto University.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) have existed in the European Union since 2002, but became increasingly important to lending after EU Taxonomy rules were introduced in 2020. Banks now use energy ratings when assessing green financing. Properties with low ratings may require costly renovations and could lose value over time, increasing the financial risk for lenders.

“In practice, a property with a very poor energy rating may not qualify for a loan at all, because banks may consider it too high-risk,” says doctoral researcher Maria Holopainen. By contrast, highly rated properties that qualify for green lending may receive somewhat more favourable financing terms than conventional loans.

Climate risks could become another important consideration. Banking experts expect floods, wildfires and other extreme weather events to increasingly influence property financing, although their significance varies by location. In southern Europe, wildfires, heatwaves and floods already carry considerable weight, while recent flooding in Sweden has heightened awareness of physical climate risks in Nordic countries.

The researchers also identified a contradiction in the current financial system. Despite ambitious EU targets for improving existing buildings, financing arrangements can favour new construction over energy renovations. New buildings can more easily achieve an A energy rating and meet EU Taxonomy criteria, making them more attractive for green financing. Renovation projects, meanwhile, can be riskier and more complicated for banks to classify and report as green.

Yet renovations will be essential to meeting climate and carbon-neutrality goals. “From a sustainability perspective, renovations are a far better option than new builds—in fact they are essential if we are to reach the agreed on climate targets and carbon neutrality by 2050,” Holopainen says. “High-performing new buildings alone are not enough.”

The researchers warn that these trends could also deepen housing inequality. Wealthier households and investors may increasingly purchase expensive, energy-efficient homes, while people with fewer financial resources could be left with lower-quality properties carrying higher energy and climate risks. Those already in stronger financial positions could therefore benefit most from favourable green financing. Holopainen says the challenge is ensuring that people in more vulnerable financial positions can also access sustainable homes.

More information: Maria Holopainen et al, Is green the new normal? Understanding current sustainability practices in European residential property lending, Journal of European Real Estate Research. DOI: 10.1108/JERER-09-2025-0074

Journal information: Journal of European Real Estate Research Provided by Aalto University

Poverty Declines Across the EU, Yet Uneven Progress Remains

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Poverty declined across the European Union between 2015 and 2023, although substantial differences persisted among member states, according to a study published September 30, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One. The research was conducted by Silvia Megyesiova and Cecilia Olexova of the Bratislava University of Economics and Business in Košice, Slovak Republic.

Reducing poverty remains a major global challenge. In 2021, an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide were living in poverty, while another 240 million were classified as “extreme working poor.” Although poverty has traditionally been measured primarily by income, events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted its broader dimensions, including housing, physical and digital infrastructure, information literacy and exposure to environmental threats.

The researchers examined poverty within and across European Union member states using 10 measures identified in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These included the proportion of people at risk of monetary poverty after social transfers, the housing cost overburden rate, and the severe material and social deprivation rate.

To examine how poverty changed over time, the researchers divided the study period into three parts: 2015–2019, the year 2020, and 2021–2023. The year 2020 was analysed separately because of the social and economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, poverty indicators improved across the EU between 2015 and 2023. The proportion of people at risk of monetary poverty after social transfers fell from 17.4% in 2015 to 16.2% in 2023. The average rate of severe material and social deprivation also declined substantially, from 9.7% to 6.8%.

Many individual countries showed similar improvements, although progress varied considerably. In 2015, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia and Romania each had monetary poverty rates above 22%. By 2023, only Estonia and Latvia remained above that threshold. Romania recorded particularly notable improvement, with its rate falling from 25.4% in 2015 to 21.1% in 2023.

Despite the overall progress, significant disparities remained. Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Latvia formed the most vulnerable cluster during 2021–2023, while several countries in Northern and Western Europe displayed more stable trends. The findings suggest that poverty patterns do not always correspond neatly with traditional geographical divisions within Europe.

The researchers emphasise that economic prosperity alone cannot fully explain poverty and social exclusion. Measures such as material deprivation, housing conditions and digital skills provide a broader picture of social vulnerability. They conclude that multidimensional poverty profiles can change over time and that sustainable policies tailored to the circumstances of individual countries will be important for strengthening resilience and reducing poverty across the EU.

More information: Silvia Megyesiova et al, Multivariate analysis of poverty and social exclusion across EU countries in the context of Sustainable Development Goal 1, PLOS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0343050

Journal information: PLOS One Provided by PLOS

Sari-Sari Stores and the Informal Landscape of Community Healthcare

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Medicine should never feel out of reach. Yet for many Filipinos, reaching a pharmacy can require travelling long distances at considerable cost. In a remote sitio in Barangay Kalawakan, Bulacan, for example, the nearest pharmacy is almost a dozen kilometres away, with no public transportation. A trip to town can cost more than ₱400, while walking may take more than an hour.

A new study by Ateneo de Manila University researchers explores whether small sari-sari stores could help bridge these gaps by serving as informal points of access to common medicines. Published in the August 2026 issue of Acta Medica Philippina, the qualitative study examines the experiences of sari-sari store owners who sell medicines within their communities.

The researchers interviewed 14 tinderas, or sari-sari store owners. Most sold medicines for common ailments such as headaches, fever, colds, diarrhoea and stomachaches. These included familiar medicines such as paracetamol, mefenamic acid, ibuprofen and loperamide, generally sold in small quantities through the Filipino practice of tingi-tingi, or purchasing only what is immediately needed.

The transaction can appear remarkably ordinary: a neighbour walks to the local sari-sari store, asks for a few tablets and returns home. Yet this everyday exchange reflects larger issues of proximity, affordability and gaps in formal healthcare. The researchers argue that sari-sari stores offer a unique window into the interactions among consumers, government and the medical and pharmaceutical systems.

Distance emerged as an important reason why some tinderas sell medicines. Where pharmacies are far away, stocking basic medicines can save residents both time and transportation costs. Store hours can also make a difference. One tindera reported keeping her store open until midnight, allowing residents to obtain medicines after a nearby pharmacy had closed.

Because tinderas interact with neighbours every day, they become familiar with what people request, what they can afford and what their communities need. Some began stocking medicines after repeatedly seeing local demand. In this sense, sari-sari stores do more than bring products closer to residents; they reveal how informal networks of care develop alongside formal healthcare institutions.

There are important boundaries, however. The tinderas interviewed did not consider themselves doctors or pharmacists, and 11 of the 14 refused to sell antibiotics or other prescription medicines, instead directing customers to healthcare professionals when necessary. There are also legal restrictions: selling pharmaceuticals through sari-sari stores is generally prohibited unless the Philippine Food and Drug Administration appropriately licenses the outlet, although regulatory considerations may differ in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

Rather than advocating for sari-sari stores as replacements for pharmacies, the researchers suggest recognising the role they already play while considering the economic and geographical barriers communities face. These neighbourhood stores occupy an unusual space between households and formal healthcare—shaped by distance, affordability, convenience, trust and necessity. Their role ultimately raises a broader question: what informal systems emerge when essential healthcare remains too distant or costly for the people who need it?

More information: Melissa Louise M. Prieto, et al, Sari-sari Stores as Community Pharmacies? A Qualitative Exploration of Sari-sari Stores Selling Medicines in the Philippines, Acta Medica Philippina. DOI: 10.47895/amp.v60i15.13577

Journal information: Acta Medica Philippina Provided by Ateneo de Manila University

Environmental Concerns Fail to Stop Shoppers from Buying Fast Fashion

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New research from RMIT University suggests that environmental awareness alone may not be enough to stop consumers from buying ultra-fast fashion, as affordability and convenience can outweigh sustainability concerns. The findings highlight the complex decision-making behind purchases that may appear impulsive.

The study, published in the Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, comes amid rapid growth in online fast-fashion shopping in Australia. A Roy Morgan survey found that Temu and Shein gained a combined 1.5 million Australian customers last year. In the year to June 2025, 4.7 million Australians bought from Temu and 2.6 million from Shein.

RMIT study co-author Associate Professor Carol Tan said ultra-fast-fashion shopping was not necessarily thoughtless or impulsive. Participants often weighed environmental concerns against price and convenience, using budgets and careful planning to make their purchases feel more acceptable. Some built wish lists, left products in their online carts and waited for discounts or payday before buying.

The researchers identified two psychological patterns behind this behaviour: “strategic spontaneity” and “cognitive buffering”. Strategic spontaneity describes how shoppers plan for purchases while still experiencing the final decision as spontaneous. As one participant explained: “I add things to my cart and wait for payday or a discount notification.”

Social media also played an important role in encouraging purchases by exposing consumers to trends and making it easy to move quickly from discovering an item to buying it. Participants described seeing fashion content on platforms such as TikTok and soon adding similar products to their carts. Their clicks, searches and saved items could also shape subsequent recommendations and promotions, keeping them engaged with shopping platforms.

Study co-author Associate Professor Saniyat Islam said many participants were aware of ultra-fast fashion’s environmental impact, but that knowledge did not necessarily change their behaviour. Instead, some developed personal rules, budgets or spending limits that allowed them to feel more comfortable about making purchases despite their concerns.

The researchers described this process as “cognitive buffering”. One participant explained the conflict directly: “I know it’s bad for the planet, but when I’m on a budget and need an outfit for Saturday, I just block that out.” Tan said the findings suggest that simply providing more information about the environmental consequences of ultra-fast fashion may therefore have limited influence on shopping behaviour.

The researchers said sustainability messages may be more effective when they address consumers’ immediate priorities, particularly affordability and value for money. Showing a garment’s cost per wear, for example, could help shoppers compare the long-term value of durable clothing with cheaper garments worn only a few times. The study was based on interviews with 20 Australian millennials. It was designed to provide detailed insight into purchasing decisions rather than determine how widespread these behaviours are across the Australian population.

More information: Finela Quiambao et al, Strategic spontaneity and cognitive buffering in ultra-fast fashion consumption: Extending the S-O-R framework through Dual-process theory, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing. DOI: 10.1080/20932685.2026.2715111

Journal information: Journal of Global Fashion Marketing Provided by RMIT University

Study Casts Doubt on Matched Betting as a “Risk-Free” Way to Make Money

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A new peer-reviewed study from Bournemouth University has found a striking gap between how people perceive the risks of matched betting and what some experience in practice.

Matched betting involves using free bets and other promotions offered by online gambling companies to place bets on different outcomes of the same event, such as a football match. The approach is frequently promoted online as a controlled or even “risk-free” way of making money.

Researchers surveyed 2,112 UK adults who were engaged in matched betting and analysed 2,954 personal accounts of their experiences. Participants were asked whether they considered matched betting to be gambling, what difficulties they had encountered and whether they had experienced financial losses. The research team included Bournemouth University researchers Dr Reece Bush-Evans, Dr Helen England, Dr Elvira Bolat, Dr Emily Arden-Close and Dr Ruijie Wang.

“The contradiction between perceived and experienced risk was striking,” said Dr Bush-Evans. “Many participants described matched betting as risk-free or controllable, yet just over half reported having lost money at some point while matched betting.”

The study, published in International Gambling Studies, found that participants frequently distinguished matched betting from conventional gambling. However, their accounts also described experiences associated with gambling-related harm, including financial losses, mistakes, mental strain and emotional impulses. More than half of those surveyed reported losing money through matched betting.

Participants often attributed those losses to human error rather than risks inherent in matched betting itself. “The losses were commonly attributed to mistakes such as incorrect calculations, misunderstanding promotions or pressing the wrong button rather than to risk inherent in the activity,” Dr Wang explained. “What we found particularly interesting was that losses did not necessarily undermine people’s belief that matched betting was risk-free.”

Some participants also reported chasing wins or losses, using additional personal money to place bets, or moving from matched betting into other forms of gambling. The researchers cautioned that because the study captured participants’ experiences at a single point in time, it cannot establish whether matched betting causes subsequent gambling behaviour. They also noted that people who view matched betting as a financial strategy or side hustle rather than gambling may be less likely to recognise potentially harmful gambling behaviours.

The researchers argue that matched betting deserves greater attention from both gambling researchers and those involved in consumer protection. “Matched betting remains surprisingly under-researched despite its visibility online,” Dr Bush-Evans said. The team called for further research that follows matched bettors over time and examines how the practice is promoted through social media, online communities and affiliate marketing.

More information: Reece Bush-Evans et al, “There is no risk, so long as you follow the rules”: perceptions of risk and illusion of control in matched betting, International Gambling Studies. DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2026.2708667

Journal information: International Gambling Studies Provided by Bournemouth University