Stronger Advertising Codes Key Takeaways
Advocacy for stronger advertising codes
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) is campaigning for stricter advertising codes to reduce exposure.
Exposure to young audience concerning
UKGC study points out young audiences exposed to online gambling ads, highlighting growing concerns over lax regulations.
Responsible Gambling is a focal point
These proposals correlate with wider efforts promoting responsible gambling and harm reduction for vulnerable demographics.
Governments and regulators in the UK have been urged to think more about their duties and how the ads may impact young people, and Safer Gambling Week provided the perfect opportunity to consider this. Across Europe, numerous countries have much closer guidelines. Italy has introduced a ban on gambling ads across all platforms, but in the UK, £1.5 billion is being spent annually on marketing gambling games.
The Gambling Act – Fit For Purpose?
The Gambling Act of 2005 is the main regulation in the country that deals with gambling and its advertising, but this has been accused of being not fit for purpose and vulnerable, leaving young people at risk.
The UK government has started a review of the Gambling Act which will help to ensure it is fit for the digital age that we live in. The new review will collaborate with industry and potentially reform some of the guidance and laws to prevent more people from experiencing gambling problems. The government has proposed measures to ban advertising on club shirts in the Premier League, for instance – this is one way that a lot of young people are exposed to the gambling brands on the market.