Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on the appropriateness of the prevalence of gambling adverts across sports broadcasts; and if he will make statement.

There are strict controls on the content of all gambling advertisements, including broadcast adverts, and they must not be targeted at children. Gambling operators who advertise in the UK must comply with the advertising codes, which aim to ensure gambling advertising does not appeal particularly to children or young people or exploit vulnerable people. TV adverts must be pre-cleared by Clearcast and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) acts on complaints and proactively checks the media to take action against misleading, harmful or offensive advertisements.

The Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising bans free sign up offers targeted at new customers before 9pm and the website address for GambleAware must remain on the screen for at least 10% of an advert’s length. All TV and print adverts must carry an 18+ or ‘no under 18s’ message, except for lotteries, where the equivalent age is 16. Operators’ logos must not appear on any commercial merchandising which is designed for children, including replica football shirts in children’s sizes.

The Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility consultation, published on 31st October, outlines a package of measures to further strengthen protections on advertising, including a major responsible gambling advertising campaign, funded by broadcasters and industry. This is proposed to include TV adverts, including around live sport, as well as radio, cinema, print and online. In addition, the Committees of Advertising Practice intend to publish new guidance to protect those at risk of problem gambling as well as children and young people, and the Gambling Commission will be consulting on increasing sanctions available where operators breach the codes.