Sky CEO criticises possible gambling ad ban
The executive says that a ban on gambling advertising during sporting events is not ideal.
UK.- Several reports that have recently emerged indicated that Remote Gambling Association (RGA) members had accepted a total ban on gambling promotion during live sports broadcasts. The RGA denied the rumours, but it still didn’t stop industry executives from expressing their opinions on the subject.
Sky UK & Ireland CEO Stephen van Rooyen talked about the plan to ban ads on live events and said that it would be flawed as approximately 80% of gambling advertising takes place online. “You could be forgiven for thinking this sounds a reasonable plan. The truth is the facts paint a very different picture. What the RGA has failed to address is the inconvenient truth that over 80% of the gambling industry’s advertising is in the largely unregulated online world,” he wrote in The Times.
He also said that if the RGA and gambling companies are serious about protecting vulnerable gamblers, “they should start by looking at where they spend the most money, what has the least level of regulation and where there is most evidence of harm: the online world.”
“Last month we voluntarily agreed to limit the number of gambling ads to one per commercial break. And we’re using our AdSmart technology to enable people to block gambling advertising if they wish. As a result, there will of course be some financial impact to Sky, but a proportionate and responsible limit to gambling advertising is the right thing to do,” he added.
