Life for UK and UK-facing gambling operators certainly has not been easy during 2020. Before the pandemic shut down betting shops and casinos, anti-gambling forces in Parliament had been hard at work limiting the breadth and scope of operator’s marketing techniques. In particular, they’ve been very interested in limiting how, and how often, gambling operators can get their message out to the public.
Not surprisingly, the full-scale attack on the industry coming from the highest levers of power has created a defensive backlash that’s found its form in the UK Betting and Gambling Council (BGC). This industry trade group is attempting to head off the worst regulatory reforms Parliament can come up with.
To that end, the BGC is suggesting that its members are willing to devote a full 20 percent of their advertising to the cause of safer gambling. It’s an effort that’s entirely voluntary and is set to ramp up as soon as the COVID-19 closures are finished.
While the idea seems nice on its face, and could yet work, it’s drawn mixed reviews from the media and BGC members. For starters, that 20 percent number is not quite as large as it sounds since it only covers radio, TV and billboards, but not digital advertising. Since digital ads make up the bulk of the gambling industry’s ad buys, the gesture may not be as altruistic as originally thought, according to Slotcasino.co.uk.
Whether or not supporting safer gambling will prevent Parliament and the UK Gambling Council from continuing their quest to make life as difficult as possible for operators remains to be seen.