Former South Australian Senator calls for gambling advertising overhaul
Former South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon has called for tighter controls on gambling TV advertising, as well as the banning of gambling sponsorship within sports clubs.
Xenophon, who is once again running for the Senate, says sports betting ads should be restricted on TV to the same time as alcohol ads, as reported by Yahoo News. Such restrictions are between noon and 3pm on school days and 8.30pm to 5am on any day.
Sports betting ads are currently allowed to be played at all times except during children’s programming. But news, current affairs and sports programs are exceptions to this rule.
Xenophon has proposed that sports betting companies provide 20% of the amount spent on advertising to a gambling hard reduction fund, while he also suggested that Australia should follow the likes of Spain and Italy, which have banned the gambling industry from sponsoring sporting clubs.
“Given that Australians lose more than AU$1.2bn (US$850m) on sports betting (excluding horse racing) each year, and the increasing levels of harm, particularly amongst young people, these restrictions are long overdue,” said Xenophon
“It makes no sense that tobacco advertising is completely banned on all platforms, alcohol advertising is significantly restricted on television, yet gambling remains a free-for-all.”
In the UK, the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) last month announced that it will introduce new rules for gambling ads, as part of its commitment to safeguarding young people and vulnerable audiences.
The new rules, which will come into effect on 1 October 2022, aim to “significantly impact gambling advertisers looking to promote their brands using prominent sportspeople and celebrities as well as individuals like social media influencers, who are of strong appeal to those under-18,” CAP noted.
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