Betting and Gaming Council welcomes UK govt. crackdown on online illegal ads

UK trade body Betting and Gaming Council has welcomed the new rules announced by the Government to crack down on illegal ads online, including gambling adverts, aimed to better protect young people from harm. 

Under the new measures, unveiled by Department of Culture, Media and Sports Minister Sir John Whittingdale MP, social media platforms and websites will have to take tougher action to stop children from seeing age-restricted adverts for some products, including gambling.

Ministers also unveiled plans to establish a new task force to drive better industry standards, under Government plans published in response to its Online Advertising Programme.

The crackdown on illegal ads comes weeks after the BGC publicly called on social media companies to cooperate with its members on improved safeguards to protect vulnerable groups and prevent children from seeing adverts for age-restricted products.

This is good news from @DCMS Minister @JWhittingdale

These measures will ensure social media firms have to take tougher action to stop children seeing age-restricted adverts for products including betting.

Read more from our CEO @MichaelDugher https://t.co/ZyRFVUz7T6

— Betting and Gaming Council (@BetGameCouncil) July 26, 2023

BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher also wrote to DCMS earlier this year, urging the Department to put pressure on social media platforms to do more, the trade body said, noting DCMS Minister Stuart Andrew MP has since confirmed he will convene a meeting "to help drive change."

"BGC members have already taken major steps to ensure only those legally allowed to bet see online marketing for regulated betting and gaming products," says the BGC. Currently, all social media advertisements for BGC members must be targeted at those aged over 25, unless platforms can provide evidence to verify the accuracy of their targeting to over 18s.

A new BGC code of conduct was also introduced placing a ban on football clubs using their social media accounts, which are popular with youngsters, posting direct marketing on betting odds and sites. BGC members have also led a push with social media platforms to allow the public to opt-out from receiving betting ads online.

Betting and Gaming Council CEO Michael Dugher said: “We strongly welcome these new measures set out by Sir John Whittingdale MP which will do more to protect children and young people from seeing age-restricted adverts. It follows our calls on the Government to do more in this area, because we recognised change was needed.

“BGC Members have already taken big steps to ensure adverts by our members only reach the right audiences. This new guidance from the Government will ensure that the platforms are required to do the same. Our members look forward to continuing to drive higher standards, whilst investing in jobs and businesses in the UK.”

The BGC said it would like "to see further cooperation on issues" including introducing a marketing suppression tool by all social media companies to prevent all betting and gaming ads from being seen by those who have voluntarily excluded on GAMSTOP, the national self-exclusion scheme.

The trade body also called for more work to be done on ad frequency, to protect vulnerable groups and young people, which BGC members claim cannot do "without the cooperation of social media companies."