A gambling industry-funded public health advert has been criticised for potentially increasing feelings of self-blame among gamblers and was unlikely to encourage people to address their addiction.

The “counterintuitive” advert was broadcast for the first time on Sunday during the Manchester United vs Liverpool game as part of a landmark national campaign to encourage safer gambling.

However, the ‘Bet Regret’ advert was sandwiched between adverts from Bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power and Sky Bet, leading to criticism from campaigners who said the message was “drowned out”.

Experts mindful of the association between gambling addiction and suicidal feelings said gambling should not be promoted and the advert effectively deflected focus away from the industry’s aggressive marketing of long-shot bets, such as Paul Pogba at 14/1 to score next.

“I would like to see more emphasis on [addiction] prevention,” said Rebecca Cassidy, an academic at Goldsmiths, University of London and an expert on how corporations shape the public’s understanding of problem gambling. “It seems counterintuitive to me to introduce a message about harmful gambling among other advertisements for betting.

“If the government believes that the harm caused by gambling is a public health issue then why not take a precautionary approach, treat it like tobacco and ban advertising, promotion and sponsorship?”

Cassidy said that the message conveyed in the advert was part of a wider narrative inviting gamblers to focus on self-discipline rather than drawing attention to what she called dangerous products and bad policies.

“I’m concerned that messages like this one, which depict a gambler being berated for his behaviour, are unlikely to encourage gamblers to speak about their problems with their families or to seek support,” she added.

Dr Philip Newall from the University of Warwick said: “The advert appears to put the onus of responsibility on the individual to avoid bets that they might ‘regret’. I don’t see how this message will appear particularly persuasive, especially given the sophisticated psychological techniques used in betting industry advertising.”

Dr Arman Hassanniakalager, from the University of Bath, said the advert ignored the fact that gambling addicts are subject to “aggressively marketed harmful products” which promote long-shot bets.

“The first advert appears to imply that gamblers are a unique category of people who are personally to blame for their losses,” he said. “This reflects a discourse promoted by the gambling industry which attempts to shift blame for gambling-related harm away from aggressively marketed harmful products and on to individual gamblers.”

Liz Ritchie, co-founder of the charity Gambling with Lives, told the BBC: “Given that gambling addiction is highly correlated with suicidal feelings, messages should not in any way increase a sense of regret or self-blame and we call for a ban on all gambling advertising.”

There are 430,000 problem gamblers in Britain according to the Gambling Commission, with two million adults suffering from some form of gambling harm.

A voluntary industry-wide ban on gambling ads running from five minutes before sports fixtures until five minutes after is set to begin in July following political pressure over the amount of betting advertising on television.

Marc Etches, chief executive of GambleAware, the independent charity funded by gambling industry donations that commissioned the advert, said the public health campaign responded to the gamblification of football and was an attempt to encourage moderation.

“This campaign focuses on the feeling of ‘Bet Regret’, where bettors immediately feel remorse after just placing an impulsive bet,” he said. “We’re trying to encourage young men to moderate their gambling, in particular those impulsive bets when drunk, bored or chasing losses.”

Ronnie Cowan, an SNP MP and vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on gambling-related harm, welcomed the advert and said it was unclear whether betting adverts during live sports adversely influence vulnerable people.

“The new GambleAware advert is intelligent and subtle,” he said. “It is designed to make punters stop and question why they are gambling and if they are gambling wisely. That moments hesitation may be all that is required to help them reduce their gambling and break a habit.”