AA Welcomes Relaxation Of Gambling Ad Restrictions
The Advertising Association (AA) has welcomed the Government’s decision to abolish the heavy restrictions on gaming and betting advertising and is calling for a new code of practice to be implemented without delay.
The AA has been campaigning for the deregulation of advertising in this sector for some time and earlier in the week the Government announced plans to sweep away legislation created by the 1968 Gaming Act and relax regulations preventing betting and gaming companies from advertising on TV and radio.
Sara Soltani, the AA’s director of public affairs, said: “The Government has obviously taken on board the comments and input from the advertising and gambling industries and produced a response that will be welcomed both by industry and real consumers who will benefit from improved information and regulation within the sector.”
The new regulations put forward in the Government’s white paper will see gambling services subjected to a new light-touch code of practice as well as the existing advertising restrictions. The legislation comes in response to the Gambling Review Report published in July and the AA intends to work closely with the Government to ensure that the recommendations of the report are put into practice.
Soltani added: “We call on the Government to implement the proposals quickly to ensure that momentum is not lost and the benefits can be realised as soon as possible.”
The advertising industry has come under increasing pressure recently, with tougher restrictions and greater statutory intervention threatening to restrict advertising to children (see ISBA Defends Advertising Aimed At Toddlers), as well as the promotion of FMCG products, alcohol (see Alcohol Brands To Face Tougher Restrictions) and financial services (see Financial Advertising Shake Up). Speaking at ISBA’s Annual Advertising Conference earlier in the month, ISBA’s director general, Malcolm Earnshaw, issued an urgent call for the industry to strengthen itself against the threats posed by this “rising tide” of consumer protection legislation, which he claims, “is eroding our advertising freedoms” (see ISBA Spearheads Pro-Advertising Initiative).
Advertising Association: 020 828 2771 www.adassoc.org.uk
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