As concerns continue to linger on whether the gambling market should be allowed to advertise and how it should advertise, football fans including brighton fans found themselves in a dilemma. An estimated 11,000 gambling messages were seen during the opening week of the Premier League season. Could this be considered overwhelming? Could gambling platforms abuse the only forms of advertising they can use freely? Let’s find out together with the help of BritishGambler experts.
Top clubs agree that gambling platforms should be banned from sponsoring the front of player shirts from 2025. Some argue that these advertising techniques aren’t just about t-shirts. They’re also concerned about TV and radio hours and social media posts. The key concern is that banning them from being in the front of shirts is a mere drop in an ocean of ad messages.
Key Concerns With Gambling Messages
The Gambling Harms Research raised the following key concerns with this form of marketing:
- Some social media content is disguised and not labelled as a gambling ad
- The amount of messages seen by gamblers can be considered excessive
- There aren’t enough safer gambling messages sent out
As the Premier League season set in, from the 11th to the 14th of August, in just six live matches broadcasted on television, 6966 gambling messages were shown. During this time, viewers saw messages that included pitch-side hoardings, messages on shirts, and commercial breaks, and out of these, only 20% of them came with a message that supported safer gambling.
On social media, it’s reported that every 34 minutes, an ad for gambling was seen during the first weekend of the Premier League. Findings show that 1902 gambling ads were flighted during that time. A key concern was raised as most social media marketing was an unidentifiable form of advertising.
As worries continue on whether these messages pull gamblers into the deep, Michael Chopra, a former Newcastle United striker, also raised his concerns. He mentioned that the amount of betting sponsorship he witnessed in football fueled his addiction in the past.
What the Authorities Think
The minister of gambling, Stuart Andrew, said there was very little evidence to link gambling-related problems with ads. Researchers agree with the statement, although they still feel that further restrictions should be placed to reduce exposure to gambling advertisements.
The Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said there were already enough gambling advertisement rules that encourage social responsibility. He also mentioned the front-of-shirt sponsorship ban to be implemented from the end of the 2025 season.
A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) said they had introduced new age-gating rules for advertising on social media platforms that target ads to those aged 25 and above. The BGC also mentioned that sponsorship doesn’t count as advertising.
A Recap on Current Restrictions on Advertising for Gambling Sites
Current regulations specify any gambling services and products must be advertised in a socially responsible manner. Compliance with the UK advertising codes issued by the advertising practice committees and administered by the Advertising Standards Authority is essential.
Gambling adverts must not show any of the following:
- They must not exploit young people and children
- They must not suggest that gambling is a source of income
- They must not condone gambling behaviour
- They must not link gambling to seduction or sexual success
- The ads shouldn’t depict anyone lower than the age of 25
Any ads that don’t comply with any of the rules that have been set must be withdrawn, and if there’s a repeated breach, the advertisers will be referred to the Gambling Commission.
Concerns About Excessive Advertising
The main concern that has been seen is that gambling messages have increased since the Gambling Act of 2005. This has led to concerns as researchers feel these ads could be harmful. The relationship between Sports and gambling has been put under the microscope.
