As of October 1, 2022, the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) will implement new limits on gambling advertising, approved and endorsed by GambleAware.
Bye-Bye, Celebrity!
As per new limits, prominent sportspeople and celebrities will no longer be allowed to promote gambling items under new restrictions meant to safeguard minors from the dangers of the industry.
Previously, gambling companies were prohibited from producing advertisements with "special appeal" to children; this has been changed to "strong appeal" and refers to the visuals, concepts, and characters used in any marketing activity.
Top-tier footballers, those with a particular appeal to under-18s, all sportspeople well-known to under-18s, references to video game content popular with under-18s, and stars from reality television shows are all prohibited from being used in ads.
GambleAware Praised the New Rules
GambleAware’s statement says that adopting a proactive approach to prevent children and teens from being exposed to gambling advertisements is a good thing.
It is absolutely right to take precautionary action to prevent gambling problems from becoming established among children and young people, so we are pleased to see this proactive measure to protect under-18s from exposure to gambling adverts, said Zoe Osmond, CEO of GambleAware.
This group had seen nearly two-thirds of gambling ads on social media, and nearly half had seen sports teams, tournaments, or events sponsored by a gambling operator.
We also are delighted GambleAware’s research led to these steps being taken, said she. Our research, published in 2020, showed that 94% of those aged 11-17 in Great Britain had been exposed to gambling adverts in the last month, seeing six adverts on average.
