An industry trade body has announced that there will be a review into the number of sports betting adverts on TV, with a potential for a complete pre-watershed ban.
The Remote Gambling Association, which represents the likes of William Hill, Paddy Power and Bet365, said that it was “very mindful of public concerns”.
At a board meeting in November, the RGA announced that a number of proposals will be looked at, including restricting the number of gaming adverts to one per commercial break, and banning ‘in-play’ ads during the live broadcast of matches.
They will also discuss whether there should be a complete ban on pre-watershed advertising by gambling companies.
Terry White, who lost £250,000 in 12 months due to a betting addiction, said that he finds adverts that “merely promotes” betting companies “acceptable”.
“The other type is the most dangerous, the in-play enticement style advert most often seen during half-time.
“They are very specifically targeting people to bet in that half-time window and often with enhanced odds to further dangle the carrot," Terry continued.
The Labour party has called for a “whistle to whistle” ban on gambling advertising following a report that said nearly all commercial breaks during the World Cup on ITV contained at least one gambling advert.
Currently, gambling companies are not allowed to advertise before 9pm, with the exception of around live sporting broadcasts.
There’s also another exception for bingo companies and lotteries.
You can hear more from Terry as part of the High Stakes documentary and by staying tuned to this website.
Listen below to hear an exclusive clip of what Campaign for Fairer Gambling spokesperson Matt Zarb-Cousin had to say about his gambling addiction, how it developed and how he beat it.
Comments