Report calls for “urgent action” on gambling ads in the UK
GambleAware says current regulations for marketing and online content “do not reflect the unique challenges presented by the digital age.”
UK.- The responsible gambling charity GambleAware has published a report that calls for major changes to the regulations for gambling ads in the UK. The study finds that children and young people are regularly exposed to gambling on online platforms and that the current rules for gambling marketing and content online “do not reflect the unique challenges presented by the digital age.”
It notes that the responsibility for regulating online gambling marketing is spread over multiple government bodies and regulators, with no clear single body responsible for oversight. It also argues that there is an overreliance on self-regulation.
According to the report, an estimated 85,000 children in Great Britain are experiencing problems with gambling, with four in five children wanting the government to do more to reduce the amount of gambling content they see online. The study argues that such content normalises gambling as risk-free and increases the risk of gambling harm.
The paper calls for the government to align online safety powers, increase action against online platforms and establish a government taskforce to explore targeted policies.
The charity has proposed that legislation such as the Online Safety Act give more prominence to gambling-related marketing. It also wants mandatory health warnings on all gambling advertisements, something already done by many providers.
Anna Hargrave, Transition CEO at GambleAware as it winds down its operations, stated: “Gambling operators invest significant resources into online marketing because it works at getting people to gamble more. This has resulted in children and young people being exposed to gambling content online before an age at which they can critically evaluate it and understand the risks that come with it.
“The current regulations covering gambling marketing and advertising online were designed before most children had easy access to the internet. Urgent action is needed to update these rules and bring them into the digital age to help keep children and young people safe from gambling harm.”
GambleAware will cease operations by March 2026 due to the implementation of a mandatory gambling levy in Britain. The funds from the new levy are administered by the Gambling Commission and the NHS, which replace GambleAware’s role as the steward of voluntary donations from the gambling industry.
Last week, the Gambling Commission outlined its priorities for research under the new system, refining its themes for research under six ‘roadmaps’. It says these will provide greater transparency of the body’s regulatory evidence needs following claims that gambling research could see conflicts of interest.
