UK Gambling Firms Agree on Whistle-to-Whistle Advertisement Ban
Many online gambling firms in the United Kingdom agreed on the concept of a voluntary Advertisement Ban during live sporting events, from whistle to whistle. It is an effort to address the worries regarding the dangerous effect of these gambling ads on children watching these events.
Online Gambling Firms Take Positive Action
The companies that are agreeing to the voluntary ban of advertising include William Hill, Ladbrokes, and Bet365. The ban would include sporting even after 9 pm if the sports event started before the watershed. The proposal is not approved yet, but the firms voiced their initial agreement on the concept. The five significant gambling industry associations are going to hold a meeting next week, to view the implementation of this ban within six months, and this is when everyone expects the agreement to become a reality.
A senior figure in the gambling industry stated that he would be personally disappointed and surprised if these measures don’t get implemented. He also added that although not every online gambling firm will agree to these measures, most companies are going to comply, as he said that it would take a lot for a company to stick its head above all the rest and break that ban.
The Whistle-to-Whistle Advertisement Ban Origins:
The Advertisement Ban, which does not involve horse racing, would make the industry in line with the proposals of the Labor party. BBC first reported the plans of the labor party, and then the RGA (Remote Gambling Association), which represent many online gambling companies, put it forward.
Commenting on the initial agreement of the companies, Tom Watson, the Deputy Leader of the Labor party stated that he is delighted that the operators are responsible and that they are adopting the whistle-to-whistle Advertisement Ban during live sporting events. He added that with more than 430k problem gamblers, with many of them are underage, the number of sporting advertisement during live events has indeed reached critical levels. The restrictions came with explicit support from the public, and he is glad that for once, the gambling industry, with the RGA at the head of the spear, is taking the responsibility seriously as well as listening to the proposal and agreeing to it.
Several CEOs of some of the biggest gambling operators, including Betfair, Paddy Power, and William Hill, stated that they would support more significant restrictions on ads to protect the children. The reason behind this proposal is the concern regarding the normalization of betting, due to the massive volume of ads during live sporting events. According to researches by the Guardian, the children in the UK were exposed to 90 minutes of gambling ads during the World Cup. The shares of the gambling firms decreased after the reveal of the plan, which is going to restrict their ability to advertise to their TV viewers. The broadcasters will also suffer a decrease in revenue due to that Advertisement Ban.
The RGA Takes the Safer Route
The internet gambling industry learned their lesson when it comes to resisting public demands, especially after the battle between the Association of British Bookmakers against the decrease in the maximum stakes on FOBTs. The campaign was unsuccessful, and it caused damage to the reputation of the industry.
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