SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will speed up the publishing of its results into the review it conducted into UK gambling advertising. The DCMS faced criticism from senior Liberal Democrat Danny Alexander who had raised concerns regarding UK public and consumer exposure to gambling advertisement.
UK newspaper the Daily Mail published leaked cabinet correspondence between Alexander and UK Culture Secretary Sajid Javid. Alexander complains that the review of gambling advertising conducted by ministers ‘has still not been reported’.
Alexander wrote: “I am growing increasingly concerned by the prevalence of betting advertising during televised sporting events that are watched by children. It has now become almost impossible to watch any kind of sports event without being bombarded by highly solicitous advertising.”
Alexander re-stated that the Lib Dem party would aim to stop sports betting operators from advertising during sports events before the watershed. Alexander labelled the current gambling advertising rules as ‘part of a grubby deal cooked up by the last labour government’.
In response a DCMS spokesman said: “The Government is completely committed to ensuring that player protection is at the heart of gambling policy and we will publish the government response to the review of gambling advertising shortly.”
On Wednesday independent industry watch dog the Senet Group launched its first responsible gambling campaign “When The Fun Stops, Stop”. UK betting operators William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Paddy Power committed in October to a voluntary ban on advertising sign-up offers on TV before 9pm
