BGC applauds CMS Committe for rejecting blanket ban on gambling ads in the UK

The UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BCG) has welcomed the Culture Media and Sports (CMS) Select Committee's report for dismissing the proposal of a blanket ban on gambling advertising, sports sponsorship and consumer promotions.

“We welcome the publication of the CMS Committee Report and its findings which reject proposals for a blanket ban on advertising, sports sponsorship and consumer promotions, which would harm our best-loved sports like horseracing and football, threaten jobs and drive customers to the growing unsafe, unregulated gambling black market online,” said the Betting and Gaming Council in a statement.

The CMS committee submitted its report on the review of the country's Gambling Act to the UK government on Thursday. While the Committee rejected a widespread ban, it urged the Government to investigate the case for banning children's access to social casino games, which are often playable on smartphones and simulate gambling activities and products.

The council points out that previous research has not definitively established a direct link between exposure to gambling advertisements and the development of gambling-related issues. The BGC has endorsed the committee's call for the immediate publication of the State Sponsorship Code, "which will further drive up standards."

“Betting advertising and sponsorship must comply with strict guidelines and safer gambling messaging, which promotes safer gambling tools and signposts help to those concerned about their betting, is regularly and prominently displayed,” said a spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council.

“We also welcome the Committee’s support for many of the measures we campaigned for including the establishment of a new mandatory Ombudsman for the regulated sector, enhanced spending checks, reforms to modernize land-based casino gambling, and a mandatory levy to help fund research, prevention and treatment for those at risk of harm,” added the BGC.

The statement comes in the wake of the BGC's earlier support for the UK Government's proposed 1% gambling levy on online gambling companies. This levy aims to generate funds for research, prevention, and treatment of gambling addiction, addressing concerns about the current voluntary levy criticized for insufficient contributions from certain operators. 

The BGC had previously recommended extending the levy to all operators, including the National Lottery, while maintaining contributions to charitable causes and has now echoed the committee's call to the government that financial checks be conducted with minimal intrusion.