Speaker: Professor Ross Gordon, School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Business School, Brisbane

 In this seminar, Professor Gordon will share findings from an Australian Research Council Discovery project that aims to better understand how young adults use, communicate about and experience mobile phone sports betting applications.

What happens for consumers when territories of consumption are changed? Gambling generates significant health and social harms. Yet there is little research on the use of mobile smartphone betting apps and how this has changed consumption, even though sports betting is the fastest growing segment of the gambling market. This presentation will share findings from an Australian Research Council Discovery project that aims to better understand how young adults use, communicate about and experience mobile phone sports betting applications. This interdisciplinary study drawn upon assemblage theory, and theories of social practice, and combines ethnography and cognitive neuroscience methods to examine how use of sports betting apps is becoming established as everyday social practice – normalising problem gambling. Ross will share insights on how changes in technology in the form, scale, intensity and spaces and places of gambling that are mediated by smartphones, sports betting apps and gambling marketing have changed the consumption territory. Ross will also consider implications for gambling risk and harm for consumers. Finally, the presentation will reflect on how study findings can inform gambling policy and programmes leading to better health and social outcomes.

Lunch is provided.