Betting Companies to Stop Ads During Live Sport

[Stan]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/46453954

Quote

 

Britain's biggest gambling companies have voluntarily agreed to a "whistle-to-whistle" television advertising ban.

The Remote Gambling Association (RGA), which includes Bet365, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power, has struck a deal to stop adverts during live sports broadcasts.

It follows political pressure about the amount of betting advertising on TV.

More than 90 minutes of adverts were shown during the football World Cup and anti-gambling campaigners say sport's use of adverts "normalises" betting.

There are also fears it contributes to the rise in the amount of problem gamblers - with a Gambling Commission report suggesting 430,000 Britons can be described as such - and helps fuel under-age gambling.

The deal follows extensive talks between firms - also including SkyBet, Betfred, Betfair, Stan James, Gala Coral and William Hill - to ensure no adverts will be broadcast for a defined period before and after a game is broadcast.

The proposal is similar to those made by the Labour party and, importantly, will include any game that starts prior to the 9pm watershed but ends after that time.

The RGA has previously said it was "very mindful of public concerns".

Horse racing will be exempt from the restrictions - given the commercial importance of gambling on its viability - but all other sports will be included.

However, it is the impact on football where the ban will be felt the most, especially given the financial value of the sport to both the gambling companies and broadcasters.

Nearly 60% of clubs in England's top two divisions have gambling companies as shirt sponsors.

Final ratification is needed from the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG) before the ban comes into force.

That should be a formality, according to industry insiders, and could come as early as this month or in early 2019.

On Thursday, the RGA said: "The Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising is reviewed annually, and several options are currently being considered as the basis for possible enhancements in 2019.

"However, nothing has yet been finalised."

Tom Watson MP, Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said he was "delighted" by the move as the number of adverts during live sports had "clearly reached crisis levels".

He added: "There was clear public support for these restrictions and I'm glad that the Remote Gambling Association has taken its responsibilities seriously and listened."

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Wright MP, said it was a "welcome move".

"Gambling firms banning advertising on TV during live sport is a welcome move and I am pleased that the sector is stepping up and responding to public concerns," he said.

"It is vital children and vulnerable people are protected from the threat of gambling related harm. Companies must be socially responsible."

Sarah Hanratty, chief executive of the Senet Group - the industry's responsible gambling body, funded by the four largest UK gambling companies - said: "It has been clear for some time now that the volume and density of advertising and sponsorship messaging from gambling companies around live sport has become unsustainable.

"This is a welcome move from the leading industry operators who are taking the initiative to respond to public concern."

It is long overdue, there has been a huge amount of pressure on the sector over the volume of advertising which has increased exponentially year on year.

But for it to be truly effective, it should also include shirt and league sponsorship and digital advertising around a pitch.

It is better that there are going to be no ads during live sporting events but that falls some way short of being effective. If the whistle-to-whistle TV advertising ban is justified then the other things are as well.

I think it is worth bearing in mind that it is the broadcasters that have been most resistant to the clampdown on advertising.

I think the writing is on the wall. If they hadn't done this, the government would have acted anyway, perhaps next year.

There is no legislation in the pipeline but the strength of feeling cross-party and in both houses suggests that it is unsustainable.

We have been saying for a long time now that gambling is being increasingly normalised for children. They are growing up in a very different world than their parents, one where technology and the internet are ever present.

So while we welcome this move by betting companies, it is important to pay attention to analysis that shows the marketing spend online is five times the amount spent on television.

The fact that it is reported that one in eight 11 to 16 year olds are following gambling companies on social media is very concerning.

 

 

[Rab]

Thank fuck for that.

[Stan]

Ray Winstone's gonna be down the job centre looking for extra work then.

[Marc]

Good. Shouldn’t be allowed as football club sponsors either.

I like a lot of what my club has done in the last 24 months but the shirt and Carrow Road being plastered with Leo Vegas adverts boils my piss. 

[DeadLinesman]

Shouldn't be allowed to advertise on shirts either in my opinion.

[Bluewolf]

I am in two minds about this and I don't actually gamble at all... 

Gambling has been around for so long that it's part and parcel of sporting events.. I used to remember trying to pick results for the pools with my old man every week but I never turned into a hardened problem gambler and that's where I am in two minds about it... I appreciate they are trying to calm it all down a bit and make it less 'in your face' and I sure won't be crying about not seeing a shit load of betting ads all the time but if a person has a gambling problem that won't cure them? They will have plenty of other avenues to go down, If you are addicted you are addicted and that's that.. 

Totally agree about removing it from the shirts and advertising hoardings around grounds because you get a lot of young adults/children going to these games and we don't really want to be encouraging them to take it up as a habit if we can avoid it so fair play for that but I think the hardened gamblers problem is more about what he has access too rather than what he sees and hears... Gamblers have such easy access to betting shops and betting apps etc that you can just throw away this weeks dole money at a swipe of the finger... That's the root cause of the problem for me.. 

It's good that they are at least acting on what they are hearing so they do deserve some praise for that and anything can be fun in moderation especially when taking risks with money but you will always a get a percentage that can't control it... 

What we really need to start pushing for is a reduction on these 'still be a pro athlete while wearing a tampon' and the "have you got an itchy vagina ladies" adverts.. now that's something I can fully get behind... 

[Dr. Gonzo]

On ‎06‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 05:10, Bluewolf said:

Gambling has been around for so long that it's part and parcel of sporting events.. I used to remember trying to pick results for the pools with my old man every week but I never turned into a hardened problem gambler and that's where I am in two minds about it... I appreciate they are trying to calm it all down a bit and make it less 'in your face' and I sure won't be crying about not seeing a shit load of betting ads all the time but if a person has a gambling problem that won't cure them? They will have plenty of other avenues to go down, If you are addicted you are addicted and that's that.. 

I did heroin once and I got fucked up, which was cool, but I didn't get addicted. However, beak nearly fucked my life up until I calmed down significantly and stopped doing drugs for a while. Given that gambling can lead some people to feel a big dopamine rush like you get from snorting a line... I'm not surprised not everyone gets addicted. Not everyone gets addicted to all drugs. However, some people certainly do develop big gambling problems which can fuck up lives just like drugs can.

If drugs were legal, I'm not sure we'd want to have heroin & cocaine manufacturers advertise on shirts... don't see why we wouldn't want to minimise the next generation from having problem gamblers.