Protecting Children
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the UK’s leading authority on standards within the betting industry, has announced a new set of rules and regulations that will help to protect individuals under 18 from being exposed to gambling advertisements.
The protection of children has been a big priority for the BGC in recent years, with advertising standards in the betting industry coming under intense scrutiny. As part of the new code of conduct, at least 20% of all gambling and betting advertising in the UK will need to be committed to safer gambling messaging.
The industry has clamped down on advertising to anyone under 18 significantly in recent years. One of the BCG’s most recent rules dictates that social media adverts can only target those who are over 25. This rule is set to be expanded to all digital media platforms according to the new BCG rulings.
Advertising to minors has been a big talking point recently, with some within the industry claiming that there is a lack of clarity with some of these rules. The ASA recently cautioned Ladbrokes for adverts featuring tennis stars, with the authority claiming that the athletes had a significant audience of under 18s.
A String Of Changes
The BGC has introduced many measures already this year, all of which are designed to help curb gambling-harm-related issues in the UK. These changes include a whistle-to-whistle ban on gambling ads on TV, new ID and age verification checks, and an increase in funding for research, education, and treatment of gambling-related issues.
There has also been an initiative launched by BGC that encourages social media platforms to ask users to decide whether they want to receive gambling adverts or not. Michael Dugher, the company’s Chief Executive, has said that he would like to focus on social media companies and get them to ‘do more’.
Setting An Industry Standard
Talking of the new rules, Michael Dugher said that protecting young people is the authority’s number one priority. He said that BCG members are taking significant steps to make sure adverts only reach their intended audience but said that with the help of platforms, they could achieve more.
Dugher added that as the standards body for the regulated sector, it is important that the BGC keeps setting a standard and continues to make big changes across the industry. He also reemphasised the importance of safer gambling measuring.
He finished by saying that all companies must ensure safer gambling tools are easily accessible and well-signed for customers.
