Some of the UK’s largest gambling firms have reached a voluntary agreement to ban betting ads around live sporting events.

The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) which includes major gambling firms like Paddy Power, Bet365 and Ladbrokes struck the deal just recently.

What it means

It means betting ads, which both glamorise and normalise gambling will not be shown during live sports broadcasts.

Crucially, even if a game starts before 9pm but finishes after that time, the ban will still apply.

‘Bombarded’ with gambling ads

During the last World Cup, viewers were bombarded with the equivalent of 90 minutes of gambling advertising.

Recent figures from the Gambling Commission show that the number of child problem gamblers has quadrupled in just two years, with an estimated 55,000 11-16 year olds now classified as problem gamblers.

Excellent news

CARE spokesperson James Mildred said: “This is excellent news.

“Anyone who watched the last World Cup could not fail to notice the sheer number of betting ads being shown, many of them well before the 9pm watershed.

“The sheer abundance of betting ads being shown, especially around sporting events is not helping the UK’s problem gambling epidemic.

“A whistle-to-whistle ban is a sensible move and if this voluntary deal is honoured, hopefully this will help mean fewer people, especially fewer young people are exposed to ads that glamorise and normalise gambling.

“There’s no doubt that the gambling industry is feeling the heat of public pressure as more and more people wake up to the need to do more to help problem gamblers and address the fact that current gambling legislation is in many ways out of date.

“It’s good to see big gambling firms like Paddy Power, Bet365 and Ladbrokes stepping up and taking action, although there is a lot more that needs to be done.

“The surge in problem gambling among young people is truly shocking and so decisions like this are a crucial part of beginning to address this very serious problem.”

Find out more

The scale of problem gambling among young people was exposed in a recent Gambling Commission Report: https://care.org.uk/news/latest-news/number-child-gamblers-quadruples-just-two-years

Children were bombarded with the equivalent of 90 minutes of betting ads during the recent World Cup: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jul/15/children-bombarded-with-betting-adverts-during-world-cup

Kenny Alexander, the boss of Ladbrokes admitted gambling advertising is out of control: https://care.org.uk/news/latest-news/number-child-gamblers-quadruples-just-two-years

Last month, Tory Peer Lord Chadlington called for gambling ads to be banned an hour before, during and after live sporting events: https://care.org.uk/news/latest-news/tory-peer-ban-gambling-ads-around-sports-events

CARE polling from earlier this year laid bare the public frustration with the Gambling industry: https://care.org.uk/news/latest-news/new-research-lays-bare-public%E2%80%99s-frustration-gambling-industry