The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) is opposing a ban on gambling advertising proposed by Federal Drug Commissioner Burkhard Blienert, SBC News reported May 30.
The ban would include the marketing of gaming, alcohol and tobacco products on TV and billboards. Proponents cite addiction and other public health concerns as the primary drivers for such a ban.
In a statement, Blienert declared, “The over-presence of large-format advertising for alcohol, tobacco and e-cigarettes at kiosks and petrol stations and for gambling on television is a major construction site for German consumer protection, youth and health policy.”
Surveys indicated that two-thirds of those who were contacted supported bans on sports betting ads.
His ban would include sports sponsorships.
In opposing the ban, DSWV cited politician Tobias Krull, who stated “Approved game and betting providers are bound by strict guidelines on youth protection and addiction prevention,” per SBC.
Krull added, “If there is an advertising ban for legal offers, there is a considerable risk that unregulated gaming opportunities will be used more frequently without the appropriate support and protection mechanisms.”
Krull concluded, “ We want to ensure that people with problematic addictive behavior are recognized quickly and therefore reject the request of the federal government’s addiction commissioner,” per SBC.
Critics of the ban also argue that the ban would go beyond the Fourth Interstate Gambling Treaty (GlüNeuRStv) and step on prerogatives of the federal states. It could also encourage unlicensed operators.
Krull pointed out that soccer clubs depend on the revenue from sports betting sponsorships, and declared, “The lack of advertising income would tear a serious financing gap and thus be at the expense of the sport. We will not allow that.”
