Officials at the UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) are praising Snaphcat’s recent decision to allow end-users to opt-out of seeing gambling advertisements on the platform. It’s a significant move for Snapchat and it’s one that other social media platforms will likely follow in the future.
The move towards allowing Snapchat users, who tend to skew on the young side, the ability to block gambling ads was part of a larger effort by the social media outlet to conform with the BGC’s updated Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising. That code states that gambling ads on social media must be aimed at players 25 and older unless the advertiser can prove that they’ve specifically targeted the ad at 18-24-year-olds.
In a statement posted on its official website, BGC chief executive Michael Dugher lauded the move saying, “This is yet more evidence of our commitment to raising standards in the regulated industry. I welcome this move by Snapchat and I would urge all social media and search platforms to provide the ability for users to opt out of viewing betting adverts. The regulated betting and gaming industry is determined to promote safer gambling, unlike the unsafe and growing online black market, which has none of the safeguards which are commonplace among BGC members.”
Given the BGC’s enthusiastic response to Snapchat’s gambling ad opt-out decision, it seems likely that other social media platforms could wind up endorsing the same the course of action. If for no other reason, social media may wind up copying Snapchat’s move on their own, before a legal mandate to do the same thing comes down from UK lawmakers.