The Betting and Gaming Council has lauded the “success” of the whistle to whistle ban on gambling ads.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has hailed the “success of the whistle to whistle ban” on gambling advertisements broadcast during televised sporting events in the UK, saying that the ban has cut the number of gambling ads seen by children by 97%.
The whistle to whistle ban
The whistle to whistle ban on gambling advertisements came into effect on 1 August 2019 and essentially means that gambling adverts cannot be shown on pre-watershed sporting events from five minutes before an event begins until five minutes after it ends. However, horse and greyhound racing events are exempt from the ban.
According to research carried out by media researchers Enders Analysis, the number of gambling adverts seen by four to 17-year-olds during the whistle to whistle period fell by 97% since the ban was implemented.
The research showed that the overall number of gambling adverts seen by children during live sports broadcasts saw a sharp 70% drop.
Enders Analysis also found that there were 1.7bn fewer views of betting adverts during the first five months of the ban being introduced, and 109m fewer gambling adverts were viewed over four comparative weekends.
The total exposure to gambling adverts during live sports broadcasts before 9pm was also by 78%. Enders Analysis said that the study found there was no displacement of gambling adverts to other post-watershed events and that the number of post-watershed gambling adverts fell by 28%.
BGC praises the ban
The BGC’s chief executive Michael Dugher said the whistle to whistle ban on gambling adverts had effectively eliminated children’s exposure to gambling adverts.
Dugher said: “The BGC was set up to improve standards in our industry: “The success of the whistle to whistle ban is a clear example of that commitment and I’m very pleased at how effective it has been during its first year in operation.
“In particular, it’s encouraging to see that it has effectively eliminated children’s ability to view betting adverts during live televised sport.
“I am determined that the BGC will lead a race to the top in terms of industry standards and we want to drive more changes in the future.
“At the same time, we urge the Government to work with us to crack down on black market operators who have no interest in safer gambling or protecting their customers and do not work to the same responsible standards as BGC members.
“The Review of the Gambling Act will also provide further opportunities to improve standards and we look forward to working with the Government on this.”
