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According to a comprehensive report issued by charity GambleAware, current UK laws and regulations regarding gambling advertising appear to be lagging significantly behind those adopted in various other European nations, leading the organisation to call for stricter measures to prevent potential harm.
In an effort to minimize the detrimental impact of gambling on individuals and communities, regulatory bodies across Europe have taken proactive steps by introducing more stringent measures aimed at curbing the proliferation of certain types of advertising and marketing. The CEO of GambleAware, Zoë Osmond, looks forward "to the forthcoming implementation of the statutory levy by the new government, which will provide much-needed clarity for the future system to tackle gambling harms and provide vital funding for prevention initiatives."
Regulation across Europe becomes more strict
A key factor in the UK's lagging behind other European countries in terms of gambling marketing regulations, according to GambleAware, is the absence of comprehensive primary legislation that regulates advertising and marketing across multiple platforms. Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, echoed GambleAware's sentiments by stating that a substantial majority of the public is in favor of implementing tighter regulations to curb the harm caused by gambling advertising and sponsorships.
Proposals from GambleAware
In an effort to mitigate the harm caused by gambling advertising, GambleAware has put forward a range of proposals, which include introducing a pre-watershed ban on broadcast advertising and making it compulsory for all marketing to feature suitable warnings.
According to GambleAware's research, there is significant public support for these proposals, with 67% of respondents believing that there are too many gambling advertisements. The charity's calculations indicate that the total expenditure on advertising and marketing by operators in the United Kingdom far surpasses £1.5 billion annually, with a notable surge of 165% in the number of gambling-related messages broadcast during Premier League matches.
Google's stance
Google Ads, in the updated advertising policies for 2024, abide by local regulations and within approved countries for ads targeting.
As before, the proper Google Ads certification must be passed by the advertiser. This helps ensure that the gambling ads have a landing page showing information regarding responsible gaming, and would never target minors. In this manner, Google ads help ensure that online advertising is working alongside countries that pay attention to the harm caused by gambling.
