Contrary to anti-gambling opponents, Covid-19 did not lead to a surge in betting during the lockdown. Government minister Baroness Barran said “overall participation in gambling has declined over the period in Great Britain.”
A year later, the same opposition has called again for an advertising ban in the lead up to football’s European Championships. Again, without evidence, said Michael Dugher, CEO of the industry trade group, the Betting and Gaming Council. Dugher wrote a column in Politics Home.
DCMS minister John Whittingdale who leads the Government’s Gambling Review pointed to a study which looked at the link between advertising and betting. “It did not establish a causal link between exposure to advertising and the development of problem gambling,” he said.
The betting industry provides millions in vital funds to the national game, including £40 million (US$55.9 million) to the English Football League and its clubs, Dugher wrote.
The league asked Professor Ian McHale of the University of Liverpool to research the link and he concluded much the same thing.
The Council has been determined to drive change, raise standards and promote safer gambling.
“Our members also brought in the whistle-to-whistle ban on TV betting commercials from five minutes before a match starts until five minutes after it ends, before the 9 p.m. watershed. This has led to a fall of 97 per cent in the number of such ads seen by children at that time,” he wrote.
All betting advertising and sponsorship must comply with strict guidelines—such as a ban on betting logos on kids’ football kits—while 20 per cent of TV and radio ads promote safer gambling messaging. This may be why, according to a report earlier this year by the Gambling Commission, rates of problem and at-risk gambling fell in 2020.
“Euro 2020 is taking place in the middle of the Government’s Gambling Review, something we have strongly supported. We are pleased that ministers have pledged to take an evidence-based approach.”
In related news, gambling ads in Sweden could follow the requirement in place for alcohol ads if an amendment is approved. The new rules, set to debut in July 2022, calls for something known as special moderation. The current law calls for just moderation, according to iGaming Business.
The Ministry of Finance is soliciting feedback on the amendment to the gaming act through October 14.
The amendments recommend marketing which in the case of alcohol says ads “must not be intrusive, include outreach or urge people to use alcohol.” Substitute gambling for alcohol. Special moderation also deals with the medium where ads are displayed, the content and design, and other marketing tools.
The new proposals have been rejected by Sweden’s online operator association Branschföreningen för Onlinespe.
“Swedish-licensed gambling operators have since a peak in 2018-2019 halved their advertising purchases. I do not understand how low the investments in marketing must be for the government to be satisfied,” said Association Secretary General Gustaf Hoffstedt.
The amendments do not constitute a total ban on gambling marketing, and the Ministry has acknowledged the risk extensive limitations may impose on operators, according to SBC News.
The department also pointed out that operators still have an edge over unlicensed operators who face a total ban on ads.
As a condition for launching Sweden’s online gambling regime in 2019, the Riksdag ensured that an independent review would be conducted evaluating Sweden’s gambling marketplace following its year-one proceedings. An independent review found that broadcast networks dealt with “aggressive advertising overexposure” by licensed operators.
As a counter to the amendments, four leading Swedish-licensed operators—Betsson, Kindred, William Hill and LeoVegas—launched a new website, Fakta om spel (Facts About Gambling), in cooperation with the Association.
The website will feature information about the gaming industry, research and reports and updated statistics on taxation and marketing.
In other gambling ad news, the bookmakers of the European Gaming and Betting Association will follow a code of conduct for responsible advertising during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship. The code was developed by the Brussels-based trade body last April as part of the efforts to reduce regulatory concerns on gambling advertising during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The code focuses on content moderation, protection of minors and responsible messaging, according to Insider Sport.
“Members are committed to advertising in a socially responsible way, even more so during prominent events like the Euro 2020 football championships,” said Maarten Haijer, secretary general of the EGBA.
The system includes independent third-party monitoring of the code by the
European Advertising Standards Alliance, which will submit an analysis of its findings.
“We hope gambling authorities around Europe will acknowledge the efforts made by EGBA members to raise the bar in responsible advertising standards,” Haijer said.
