For instance, in 2016 in Europe, OSB represented an annual business of €16.5bn in gaming gross revenue (European Gaming and Betting Association 2016). Online sports betting (OSB) is a globally growing economy. In general, these metaphors, which were found widely across 29 different betting brands, facilitated the perception of bettors as active players, with an executive role in the sport events bet upon, and greater control over bet outcomes. Following Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory, four main structural metaphors that shaped how OSB advertising can be understood were identified: betting as (1) an act of love, (2) a market, (3) a sport, and (4) a natural environment. A sample of Spanish and British television OSB advertisements from 2014 to 2016 was analysed (N = 133).

The present study sought to address this issue by examining the metaphorical conceptualisation of OSB advertising. While some efforts have been made to understand the visible structure of betting promotional messages, little is known about the latent components of OSB advertisements. The legalisation of online gambling in multiple territories has caused a growth in the exposure of consumers to online sports betting (OSB) advertising.