UK Casinos Accused Of Self-Promotion Through Safer Gambling Ads

Online gambling firms in the UK are burning through some of the recent goodwill the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) garnered with its announcement that its members would be ceasing all casino advertising on radio and television networks.

Instead, the apportioned airtime was to be donated to charity groups or used for safer gambling messaging. As it turns out however those safer gambling ads are nothing more than casino ads without a bonus offer.

 MP’s Not Keeping Quiet

More than 50 MP’s who represent the jointly held All-Party Parliamentary Group on gambling harm said:

“These are clearly just forms of advertising under the thinly veiled guise of a social responsibility message.”

The MP’s received a strong voice of support from Charles Ritchie of Gambling with Lives, given the charity’s focus on supporting the families of gambling-related suicide he feels strongly that the BGC needs to do better.

“The multiple adverts across all commercial TV channels on Saturday shows that the much-trumpeted gambling advertising ban is just hypocritical PR and the gambling industry is incapable of self-regulation.”

 More Harm Than Good

Rather than just a misstep, there is a feeling that this move was an intentional smokescreen to grab positive PR while continuing to promote their brands. While there are no bonuses being advertised the ads themselves promote messages of brand trust, brand validation and aim to create an air of security at playing with the brand.

Gambling marketing expert at Deakin University, Professor Samantha Thomas, added:

“All the evidence from areas like alcohol and tobacco tells us that industry educational ads achieve nothing, and can contribute to promoting and normalising the brands.”

Professor Thomas is especially concerned that rather than directing people to safe gambling sites they invite them to visit the casino, stating that despite its veneer of safe gambling these ads are “still promoting the companies” first and foremost.

  BGC Backed Into A Corner

Like anyone who feels cornered the BGC has chosen to attack its naysayers rather than discuss the fact that these adverts are aired on television and while they discuss such topics as bet limits and self-evaluations they all point the visitor to the advertising casinos website.

The BGC argues in defence of the advertisements on three levels:

1. That it is ridiculous to criticise any increase in safer gambling messaging
2. Half of the offending adverts were not from its members
3.  ‘Prohibitionists’ should be targeting the offending gambling operators not the BGC

The BGC made no comment on the fact that while online advertising seems to have continued as normal, albeit as safe gambling ads, its members have dramatically increased their spending on online advertising.

If the intention was truly to reduce the volume of casino adverts, then surely an increase in online advertising is counterproductive?