Speaking in Parliament this week, Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith called on the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to crank down on gambling ad regulation.
MPs Debate Gambling Ad Regulation In Parliament
Smith said that the ASA must create a new set of codes to deal with the modern gambling online market during a debate concerning certain issues previously raised.
MP Smith said the following: “The current codes are ill-equipped to deal with the online-specific forms of marketing. The ASA should consider the creation of new codes as opposed to revisions of pre-existing codes. That would perhaps ensure that social media and online marketing can be effectively regulated,”
They went back and forth about the “lack of delivery” on a white paper from the Gambling Commission and the government, which was announced last year.
When the white paper was released, there were calls for “tougher restrictions on bonuses and direct marketing”. They also called on operators to utilise “smarter technology” to divert gambling advertisements away from children and young people.
This also led to a new “Safer Gambling” campaign set up by the Gambling Commission and the Department for Health and Social care.
However, back in December 2023, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee revealed a report which found that “the government should have taken a more precautionary approach to gambling advertising in general.”
Since then, more concerns have been raised by the Gambling Related Harm All-Party Parliamentary Group. They raised research directly from the Gambling Commission revealing that 6-in-10 people came across gambling adverts or sponsorships at least once a week.
Advertisement of gambling on TV was legalised by Tony Blair’s Labour government in the Gambling Act 2005, resulting in a rise in impact on young people since.
The white paper set out by the government is set to conclude later this year, with research, surveys and more forms of research all concluded.
