Australia is putting a lot of effort in battling problem gambling and making sure the gambling industry in the country is properly regulated which is why Commercial Radio Australia is making a move towards improving its state. There has been a new draft proposed which is aiming to reduce the promotion of gambling and betting odds during live sports coverage at certain hours of the day.
According to the proposal of the Commercial Radio, advertisers should oblige to the new ban on advertising which is going to affect the time frame when ads are permitted. Promotion of gambling and betting odds is going to be prohibited between 5.00am and 8.30pm from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after any live sports event. This new measure is aiming to reduce the surging problem gambling issue which is taking more and more victims as the time goes and which should be kept at bay with conscious efforts such as this advertisement ban.
Apart from these times of the day, gambling and betting odds advertisement is permitted only when there are breaks in play. This is a fact that also gives advertisers the freedom to promote their products while protecting the rights of the customers. The proposed by the Commercial Radio Australia changes come as an addition to the already existing regulations of gambling promotion advertisement when there is live sports coverage aired. As usual, the draft provisions will be available to the public and they could be commented on in the days leading towards 15th December 2017.
If approved by the public and with any changes on them, the results of the discussed draft will eventually be implemented in the existing framework of the industry by the end of March next year. The comments can be submitted to the regulator and they will give the community the chance to make its adjustments to the proposed draft.
Problem Gambling Measures
As it is known, Commercial Radio Australia is the national industry body which represents the interests of the commercial radio broadcasters in Australia. It offers representation and advocacy on various topics related to the broadcasting community and field, which is why it is heavily involved in the development of the framework. At the beginning of this year, the full Commercial Radio Code of Practice went through a detailed in-depth revision and the renewed Code was registered in March.
The main reason why the regulator is making an effort to work for a change in the promotion of gambling and betting odds is that gambling addiction and problem gambling are issues which are currently affecting a big part of the population of Australia. This is why the government is making sure the exposure to promotion is reduced especially in the time periods when a lot of people focus their attention on their TV screens.
