The Premier League and other sports governing bodies should “commit to cutting the volume of gambling adverts in stadiums” says the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
In a report, published this morning, they state that the government should take a “more precautionary approach” to advertising to minimise children’s exposure to gambling.
It added that there was “scope for further regulation”.
The committee added that it “welcomed” the voluntary withdrawal of gambling sponsorship from the front of Premier League player shirts, but warned that “this will not significantly reduce the volume of betting adverts visible during a game.”
It pointing to a recent study that found that shirt sponsorship made up “just 7%” of all betting advertising visible during 10 surveyed matches. Another research paper found that “nearly 7000” gambling messages could be seen during 6 matches surveyed on the opening week of the season.
As a result it is recommending that the new gambling sponsorship code of conduct proposed by the government should include provision to reduce the amount of gambling ads within stadia and “require that a higher proportion of advertising is dedicated to safer gambling messaging.”
This wouldn’t include horse racing and greyhound racing, which needed a “distinct approach […] given their close and long-standing relationships with betting.”
“While gambling regulation should not overly impinge on the freedom to enjoy what is a problem-free pastime for the majority, more should be done to shield both children and people who have experienced problem gambling from what often seems like a bombardment of advertising branding at football and other sporting events,” Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Culture Media and Sport, Chair.
“The Government needs to go further than the proposals in the White Paper and work with sports governing bodies on cutting the sheer volume of betting adverts people are being exposed to.”
