The Victoria Derbyshire show has found that approximately 95% of the TV advertising breaks over UK football matches that are aired live feature no less than one gambling advert. Reportedly, betting companies had one in five of the commercials broadcast in 25 matches, with the number of gambling adverts even increasing to more than one in three in some games.
The information was reported at a time when the UK Government is expected to officially release its report over the local gambling industry, and still considering some possible restrictions that could be implemented. According to the local gambling industry, gambling rates have hardly been influenced by the increased number of gambling adverts.
Currently, gambling commercials can be aired only after 21:00 except in the cases when it comes to live sporting event.
Increased Number of TV Gambling Adverts
The survey took into account 25 football matches of British teams aired over the season on Sky Sports, BT Sport and ITV. The matches involved an overall number of more than 1,320 commercials, of which 272 were related to gambling.
The research showed that some of the games featured a gambling adverts rate that was even higher than the reported average. As revealed by the BBC, 40% of the adverts aired over the Everton vs. Apollon Limassol match on BT Sport on September 28th were related to betting. There were five gambling companies featured in a total of 18 adverts.
A couple of weeks ago, on October 11th, Sky Sports aired the Scotland vs. Slovakia match. According to the data revealed by the survey, 37% of the commercials over the live coverage were betting-related, with eight gambling companies featured in 19 gambling adverts.
There was only one women’s football broadcast live on TV, with no gambling adverts featured there.
Gambling advertising rules were made more relaxed a decade ago, when in 2007 the then-Government allowed both high-street and online betting companies roll out commercials on TV for the first time. According to research data, a massive amount of £150 million was spend by gambling operators on TV adverts last year. Reports say that a single advert for Premiership football could cost approximately £35,000.
Gambling Industry Review Expected Soon
Gambling-related adverts are not seen as an increasing problem only in the UK. Earlier in 2017, all gambling adverts over live sports broadcast before 21:00 were suspended by the Australian authorities. The same step has been adopted by Belgium only recently.
Some local authorities have shared their concern with the gambling advertising issues, and the Local Government Association calling for greater restrictions in September. The Association, which comprises local authorities in England and Wales, shared its concern that the gambling advertising volumes were having a negative influence on the sector, especially when it comes to social responsibility growth. According to the Local Government Association, millions of viewers, including under-aged ones, got access to the gambling-related commercials, while at the same time about 50% of the Premier League and Championship football teams had sponsorship agreements with gambling operators.
As mentioned above, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is expected to release the major Governmental review of the sector until the end of the month or early in November. Considering the fact that the local authorities have said that the firms operating in the gambling sector was expected to protect players, further restriction on advertising are expected to be implemented.
