Gambling: Advertising
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to tackle gambling advertisements (a) online and (b) on television which are targeted at young people.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock
There are a range of robust rules and restrictions which apply to gambling adverts, wherever they appear, to ensure they are socially responsible.
As part of the UK Advertising Codes, issued by the Committees for Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committees of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations of the Advertising Standards Authority, adverts must not be placed in children’s media and advertisers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that under-18s are excluded from their targeted marketing. In addition, content with ‘strong appeal’ to children such as top flight footballers or celebrities popular with children is prohibited from appearing in gambling adverts. As the statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain, the Gambling Commission requires all licensed operators to abide by the Advertising Codes.
As the Minister for Gambling set out in her speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December, we want to see the gambling industry further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm. This work will be monitored closely.
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