It’s time for gambling advertising to shape up
In a bid to protect under-18s from gambling, the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) has banned gambling ads from using top-flight footballers, sports personalities and influencers. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will be responsible for upholding CAP’s rules, and its director Shahriar Coupal says the regulation invites a new era in gambling advertising.
Gambling advertisers have been banned from using sports stars
We all know that gambling is for adults only, yet its advertising sometimes includes themes and images that can appeal to children. The new rules we have announced invite a new era for gambling advertising: one that’s more tailored to its adult audience and more befitting of the age-restricted product being promoted. From October, the independent Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will ban gambling ads that appeal strongly to under 18s. This might not seem immediately significant, but its effect – particularly in a World Cup year – will be dramatic.
We’ve always taken seriously our responsibility to protect young people. We ban gambling advertising from exploiting children’s vulnerabilities, including by featuring content that reflects youth culture or anyone under 25 years old. The new ‘strong appeal’ rules go further; they’re a step change that strengthens the protections we afford.
No more top-flight footballers or other high-profile sportspeople promoting the latest odds. No more social media influencers, TV stars or other celebrities popular with children inviting us to bet on red. And no more gambling ads featuring video game images or gameplay familiar to many children’s lives.
We’re introducing these measures based on key findings from research commissioned by the safer gambling charity BeGambleAware and the results of a public consultation that tell us these are the right steps to take.
As an evidence-based regulator we use the best intelligence to inform the media restrictions we place on gambling ads and the content they feature. With a forthcoming ASA report showing children’s exposure to TV gambling ads is now averaging 2.2 ads per week, the lowest level in twelve years, and a new ‘strong appeal’ rule to strengthen the restrictions already in place, the ASA is playing its part in helping to protect children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed by gambling advertising.
Our announcement bears out our commitment to staying on top of the latest evidence to ensure our rules and guidelines, and the actions we take under both, remain effective.
Importantly, our rules extend across all media, including online and the social media platforms popular with children. As gambling itself has increasingly become an online activity and its advertising has proliferated, it’s crucial that we set the rules and deliver the enforcement to keep children safe online.
At the ASA, we’re in the business of telling advertisers what not to do. By introducing a ban on strong appeal to under 18s, however, we’re also inviting a new era in gambling advertising – one more tailored to its adult audience and less likely to appeal to a broader audience.
It’s time for gambling advertising to shape up and meet this challenge.