Gambling

For the first time in Britain, from September 2007 the operators of gambling services have been allowed to advertise.

To ensure that advertising remains socially responsible, the Gambling Act has made the marketing of all forms of gambling – a sector worth more than £91 billion to the UK economy in 2006 – subject to the advertising industry’s tried and tested system of self regulation. 

The CAP and BCAP advertising codes cover the content and placement of advertising and ensure that gambling ads are not aimed at children or young people and that they do not leave vulnerable people open to exploitation and harm. Indeed, the Government itself has said that, under the Gambling Act and in conjunction with the advertising codes, there now exist “unprecedented powers” of control and protection for these groups. 

Furthermore, the gambling industry has developed its own Code for Socially Responsible Gambling to complement the CAP and BCAP rules. The gambling industry code sets minimum industry standards in the limited number of areas not covered by the CAP/BCAP rules. These areas are: social responsibility messages; display of licensed status; broadcast media – messaging; television advertising – watershed; and sports sponsorship. Once more this shows advertisers are keen not only to stay within existing regulations but to reinforce their position as a responsible industry by doing more than is required of them.