The U.K.’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), an industry group, is asking for social media to cooperate with efforts to encourage safer gambling. It has called for the government to add its voice to this effort, Yogonet reported June 7.
BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher wrote to Lucy Frazer, secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport of the U.K., the minister responsible for gaming. Dugher noted efforts to encourage social media to enable consumers to opt out of getting gambling ads.
He said more must be done, including demanding social media to be better messengers about such things as the GAMSTOP self-exclusion program. Ideally, wrote Dugher, a “market suppression scheme” would block registered GAMSTOP members from getting direct marketing on social media.
Dugher concluded, “This is impossible to achieve without the cooperation of the social media platforms themselves,” adding, “This is a sensible solution, which BGC members are keen on implementing, but we cannot do so without the cooperation of social media platforms.” The government should step in to require that cooperation, he said.
BGC’s call comes as the public and government are focusing harder on reining in gambling marketing and advertising.
