CMA looks at gaming promotions
GambleAware, a UK organization that addresses the ills of problem gambling, will release a trial online awareness campaign in the Northwest and Northeast of England on YouTube, according to SBC News.
Research funded by the GambleAware found that young people are the least likely to gamble but the most likely to become problem gamblers. TV viewing among 16-to-24-year-olds dropped 27 percent in 2016, so an online campaign proved to be the best option to reach the target audience.
“Our research shows us that young people are at particular risk of developing problems with controlling their gambling behavior, making raising awareness of what constitutes problem gambling critical,” said Dr. Jane Rigbye, GambleAware director. “We’ve worked to create these powerful ads that we hope will reach young people at that crucial crossroad and prompt them to seek help before their gambling habits become problematic.”
Meanwhile, UK Gambling Commission CEO Sarah Harrison says she remains concerned about sign-up bonuses and other enticements offered by the industry. Speaking at ICE, Harrison said the country’s Competition and Markets Authority, launched last October, “continues to see complaints and has recently extended the scope of its work to include online betting promotions.”
“Despite our clear warnings to industry operators, I continue to have grave concerns about terms which appear to bamboozle rather than help customers make informed choices,” Harrison said. “We look to this joint work to set a new benchmark for fairness and transparency. This is vital at a time when competition in the industry, manifesting itself in intense marketing, excessive and complex bonusing and free bets, risks creating further incentives to cut corners.”
Harrison added that several regulators are looking at how the gambling industry communicates with people with a focus on issues with misleading marketing practices and unsolicited e-communications including spam email and SMS.
