British think-tank calls for ban on gambling advertising

The Centre of Social Justice has called for a complete ban on gambling advertising in the UK among other measures to offer protection against gambling harms.

UK.- A major British think-tank, the Centre of Social Justice (CSJ), has called for a complete ban on all gambling advertising and marketing in a report that proposes measures it says would better protect consumers from gambling harms.

The think-tank’s report argues that a ban on gambling advertising should have no effect on the health of the gambling industry because operators often claim that advertising does not affect gambling habits.

The report, entitled Not a Game, reads: “The evidence shows the negative impact of gambling advertising on individuals, with increased spending, greater likelihood of betting and normalisation of gambling.

“Given that the point of advertising is to encourage people to gamble, there is a clear case for ending all gambling advertising, marketing and inducements and adopting more stringent restrictions.”

The report also calls for affordability checks on customers and suggests that the Gambling Commission should act as an intermediary between operators and customers to ensure affordability checks are carried out.

It also calls for a mandatory levy on gambling operators to fund research, arguing that research into gambling-related harm is critically low.

It cited a report from the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, which says that the National Health Institute for Health Research has conducted just one study on gambling since 1991 compared to 15 on alcohol. The report also outlines a need for new framework for addiction treatment.

The report states: “Gambling is not the safe, harmless leisure activity that the gambling industry would have us believe.

“Considering the severity of gambling-related harm, its extent and impact must be accurately identified and assessed. Our research suggests that more must be done for this to happen; from understanding gambling-related harm itself to how it affects the families, friends and communities of disordered gamblers.”

The charity, GambleAware, also called for a mandatory levy on operators in its response to the UK government’s current review of gambling legislation.

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm welcomes the report

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm, which has previously made its own calls for a ban on gambling advertising, welcomed the CSJ’s report.

Its chair, Carolyn Harris, said: “Today, our gambling legislation is hopelessly and dangerously out of date.

“We believe that tackling this issue must involve a whole system approach to reform, from the use of tools already available such as the gambling levy, doing much more in prevention and recovery through to imposing advertising bans.”

Growing hostility to gambling sponsorship in football

The CSJ report comes the day after EFL team Preston North End announced the termination of its sponsorship deal with 32Red because of increased hostility to gambling sponsorship in football. There are increasing numbers of calls to ban gambling advertising in the sport.

Peter Ridsdale, advisor to club owner Trevor Hemmings, said: “Finding good sponsors that work with us and also pay competitive monies is difficult. Some years ago many football clubs were sponsored by alcohol companies and then that sector was prohibited. 

“This gap was taken up by betting companies. Indeed if you take away front of shirt sponsors who are directly connected to their clubs owners, by far the greatest balance of front of shirt sponsors in the top two divisions are betting companies.

“We have been grateful for the income received from the betting sector and for the last four years from 32Red. We do however recognise that many of our supporters have grave misgivings in such relationships and of course it means that replica shirts for our supporters aged under 18 cannot be the same as the ones being worn by our first-team squad.

“In thanking 32Red and all other sponsors in recent years, I am able to confirm that we will be announcing in the coming weeks a new front of shirt sponsorship deal with a local non-betting partner that we are absolutely delighted with and we believe that our supporters will be too.

“This will give us plenty of time to get the new logos onto the 2021/22 kit in time for launch in July.”

A week earlier, English League Two team Forest Green Rovers announced its support for a national ban on gambling advertising in football by joining the national The Big Step campaign, which is run by the charity Gambling with Lives.

Chairman David Vince OBE said: “It’s like gambling has taken over football. If you watch a game on TV you are inundated with ads – gambling logos are on almost half of Premier League shirts, and constantly flash up on pitch sideboards.”

It is widely expected that the UK government’s current review of gambling legislation will lead to the introduction of a nationwide ban on gambling sponsorship in football. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to personally support the move.

Preston North End’s decision stands out for an EFL team because the EFL itself has strongly defended the prevalence of gambling sponsorship in football, arguing that it is essential for clubs’ finances.

The Betting and Gaming Council has also emphasised that betting is essential to sport.