GambleAware study shows Great Britain is behind Europe with gambling advertisement restrictions

By Lucy Wynne

Gamble Aware has commissioned the New University of Bristol and Ipsos to conduct a report on gambling advertisements in Great Britain. The results proved that 67% of people in the region think that there are too many gambling advertisements.

Currently, in Great Britain, there is no legislation in place regarding the regulation of gambling advertisements in sports or on the TV, radio or online.

The data showed, 67% of British residents polled believe there is too much gambling advertising in the media. 

Therefore, responsible gambling charity, GambleAware are calling for a variety of policy changes which will include: a pre-watershed ban on adverts, restrictions on online marketing, mandatory health warnings and a complete ban across the sports sector when it comes to advertising.

Supposedly, when compared to other European markets, Great Britain had the most lenient regulations when it came to gambling advertisements. However, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) highly rebuke that.

A spokesperson from the BGC, stated: “This report is a work of advocacy, not academia, based on misused statistics and we do not recognise its findings, or its conclusions.”

Zoë Osmond, CEO at GambleAware, commented: “We look forward to the forthcoming implementation of the statutory levy by the new government, which will provide much-needed clarity for the future system to tackle gambling harms and provide vital funding for prevention initiatives.”