The move comes on the heels of a damning National Gambling Board (NGB)<\/strong> study revealing widespread non-compliance among betting companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Parks Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, confirmed the council’s reinstatement in Parliament<\/strong> this week. He explained that the policy council had been on a seven-year hiatus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe National Gambling Act prohibits the placing of advertisements in media primarily directed at persons under the age of 18. However, the board has noted that advertisements have frequently been aired during family viewing times, including during popular shows like MasterChef and Junior MasterChef,\u201d he told MPs, according to News24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NGB study<\/strong> highlighted a disturbing trend of betting ads appearing during prime-time family shows and across platforms frequented by minors – from traditional TV to YouTube and radio streaming services. Many of these ads lacked proper responsible gambling<\/strong> disclaimers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is an issue of sponsorship of family-friendly programmes, where major bookkeepers sponsor them. This results in the increase of visibility and frequency of gambling content during shows mostly viewed by minors,\u201d Tau added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even more troubling is the decade-long absence of the Gambling Board<\/strong> from active duty, having been placed under administration in 2014. Efforts to reconstitute the board began only last year, with new members and a CEO currently being appointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, the National Gambling Policy Council, which hasn’t met since 2018, will now be reactivated “without delay,” according to Tau. Its primary mandate will be to strengthen the enforcement of gambling laws<\/strong> across provinces and ensure uniformity in how regulations are applied, especially online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is an intention to ensure that we can regulate online gambling. It is an environment where different provinces have different approaches, with some being more relaxed. We also want to ensure that there is rehabilitation for addicts,\u201d Tau said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the online gambling <\/strong>space expands, so does the urgency to protect vulnerable viewers, particularly children, from unchecked marketing tactics. The council’s return signals a renewed commitment to cleaning up the industry and holding advertisers accountable. <\/p>\n\n\nAds lacked gambling disclaimers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Decade-long absence of Gambling Board<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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