There are huge changes coming in major countries to all things gambling, whether that be for changing regulation across the US that as started to allow different services to offer both online sports betting and online gambling with the growth of the likes of online bingo too, where other countries like the UK have started to make changes such as the recent announced change to slow slots down with a list of adjustments that will both impact online slots and online casinos as a whole. The recent focus, however, has instead been aimed at advertisement as a small study in the UK concluded that the majority would support a total ban on gambling adverts, with a similar number suggesting that restrictions should be tighter – but what are the reasons for this response?
In part, some of it may be a continuation of what had been experienced earlier in the year, with the pandemic and lockdown in full swing there was a period of time where there had been a temporary ban on gambling advertising to protect those most at risk where lockdown was as its tightest, with the ban being aimed at TV, Radio, and online outlets. Whilst only a temporary measure, it certainly did have an impact, but a more permanent change and ban is something very different.
The results for the change came from a survey of 12,247 people with only 14% opposing the ban – for those conducting the study, the approach had been that gambling is an addictive practice and as such should be no different from tobacco which already has restricted marketing in the UK, with the watershed hour of 9pm being the potential cut off much like other adult materials that have advertising restrictions too – much of the spending comes in the form of online ads, however, which can certainly be much more difficult to manage than TV and radio but with closer ties to sporting events this would seemingly be the target for change, and the change could fall in line with other advertising changes such as the ban on adverts for junk food.
It’s certainly an interesting adjustment for online gambling change, after all of the effort put forward to ensure a safe and reliable method to play and gamble online, changing attitudes have meant these bans to make it more difficult will only become more prevalent over time, and whilst these changes are only aimed at the UK, other countries will certainly be taking note of what happens and the effectiveness too, and as countries like the US only now start to enter a period of time where online gambling and betting is easily accessible, these changes might be in their near future too.
