The City Councillor of Ilminster has launched a petition aimed at urging the local authorities to suspend adverts for online gambling and bingo websites from being aired on television. Linda Piggott-Vijeh has prepared and released the petition on the 38degrees.org.uk website, calling the competent regulators to put an end to TV commercials which are focused on popularising gambling.
According to Councillor Piggot-Vijeh, such adverts are being aired at times when some of the most vulnerable society members are watching television, so they could be affected by aggressive advertising and marketing campaigns of gambling operators.
The City Councillor of Ilminster also has a personal reason to join campaigns related to expanding problem gambling among local residents. Her brother, who she was very close with, took his own life and it was not until his death when the family found out that he had been dealing with a serious gambling addiction.
According to Ms. Piggot-Vijeh, there seems to be little control over online gambling casino and bingo websites advertising. She explained that many celebrities back such websites’ advertising campaigns, with the commercials being shown at times when most vulnerable members of society are watching. The city councillor explained that gambling is quite addictive and often causes destructive behaviour, bringing individuals to desperate attempts to pay off their debts by gambling everything they have.
A spokesman for the independent charity GambleAware, which is focused on helping gambling addicts, warned that gambling-related harm can affect anyone. He further explained that problem gambling has often been called “hidden addiction” as in most cases the physical effects of the addiction were not are not easy to be seen.
UK Regulators Tighten Gambling Advertising Rules
As Casino Guardian reported a few days ago, online gambling operators in the UK faced a tough 2017, after local regulatory authorities have decided to impose a tighter regime on gambling advertising rules.
Last year, a number of online gambling companies which offer their services under UKGC operating licenses faced hefty fines for misleading advertising content. The end of 2017 also saw the gambling regulators in the UK tighten their advertising policies, especially after the UK Gambling Commission, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and ASA-administered Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) criticised local gambling operators for making their advertising campaigns particularly likeable to under-aged individuals.
In addition, the UK Gambling Commission does not intend to bring more relaxed regulation of gambling operators’ advertising, due to the fact that customer protection is concerned. Last month, stricter advertising standards were implemented, with local authorities aiming to restrict gambling advertising content which may primarily target gambling addicts or minors. The new rules were proposed by the major regulatory authority in the UK, while ASA made sure they are brought into action to protect most vulnerable players in the UK from falling victim to aggressive advertising campaigns that could push them to compulsive gambling.
- Author
Daniel Williams
