Is This the Answer to Address Gambling Harm?

[danherbias07]

Yes, I just copied the question from this link: https://www.gamblinginsider.com/news/195535/uk-gambling-advertising-ban-house-of-lords-report

Well, I think that's the question that many of us have in mind. Are gambling advertisements really the issue?

UK Report Calls for Ban on Gambling Ads: Is This the Answer to Address Gambling Harm?

A House of Lords Liaison Committee’s report in the UK has called for a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising, marketing, and sports sponsorship.

Evidence links ads to gambling harm

The report notes that between 1 and 1.5 million British adults, around 2.4% of those aged 18 or over, meet criteria for problem gambling.
It argues “that a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising represents the most effective policy option to advance meaningfully the Government’s aim of reducing gambling harms and represents a vital part of a public health approach."

For example, researchers at the University of Sheffield revealed that soccer fans were 22-33% more likely to bet when watching World Cup matches with gambling ads on TV.

I know there are a lot of soccer fans here. Is this true?

Operators claim ban will cost jobs and dent economy

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), whose members include the majority of gambling operators in the UK, says a ban on advertising will send users to the black market and hurt the economy.

Yes, I think this can cause trouble for those who are working in the gambling industry. Then, the gamblers who already know how to gamble will find a way to keep on betting, and so they find solutions by going to the black market or illegal gambling sites. They might not even mind if their funds are frozen or their accounts are blocked, even if there's money left there.

Industry calls for ad ban for unlicensed operators

While defending regulated companies’ right to advertise, Hurst and the BGC have amplified calls for a ban on unlicensed operators’ sponsorship of sports teams. Several Premier League teams have deals with companies that do not hold UK licenses.

This is one good solution and can also be long-term. If the regulated gambling sites are the only ones that can be used by the gamblers, they can somehow project the real percentage of how gambling advertisements are affecting the customers.
There are still illegal sports bookies and gambling sites out there, and I think they should focus on them first.

There's a lot more in the link.
But I think the question will remain: Are the gambling advertisements really causing harm or not?

[Orpichukwu]

There's a lot more in the link.
But I think the question will remain: Are the gambling advertisements really causing harm or not?

They are causing more problems for players. It's not even something which should be up for debate, but at the same time, gambling ads are the only means to get their product out there to be known by gamblers.

The major problem to me lies with how those promotions are being run and the type of information those advertisers are passing out, especially social media promotions, which have the highest risk. You see casinos promoting themselves as an easy and safe place to make fast money, which is exactly the opposite of what an average gambler gets.

Aside from the proposed opinion to ban all illegal gambling promotions, I also think there should be stricter regulation for gambling-related ads; they should pass some verification and be limited to the type of promotion they ditch out for the sake of vulnerable youths and underage people.

[SatsPH]

Short answer is Yes, gambling ads can harm anyone and it can influence someone to go and try gambling.

But I have a debate with this from a friend and my arguments is that it depends on who is reading the ads. If you are that person who easily tempted and succumb to it, they it will harm you.

However, there are individuals who are not going to be affected by this ads, and will just laugh it off.

So it will only affect those persons that are vulnerable and weak.

[kingstep]

If the regulated gambling sites are the only ones that can be used by the gamblers, they can somehow project the real percentage of how gambling advertisements are affecting the customers.
There are still illegal sports bookies and gambling sites out there, and I think they should focus on them first.

The concern should be tailored towards addressing the content of the ads so it portrays only things that are real and not things that are too good to be true and hence worthy of enticing fans into gambling. a ban is not the way to go because club and even players still depend on sponsorship for her revenue generation.

regulation always precedes a complete ban and with proper regulatory structure, it becomes easier to see only those that are capable of dealing with gambling engaging in gambling. as far as we all can tell, gambling is not the most addictive things out there that is getting an high level of publicity. Players will still gamble even if gambling ads doesn't run while a game is still ongoing but the bigger question is, who is going to sponsor those games if casino and all gambling platforms steps out?

[AmaGold70]

Gambling ads can aid increase in the number of gamblers, and also cause some harmful effects in a gamblers life especially those who are unable to control their gambling lifestyle, their are many gambling advertisement online by some of this influencers, and celebrities, so there followers do gamble on those platforms which they advertise. But the harm that gambling causes to gamblers is beyond placing a ban on gambling ads. At first, if gambling advertisement is banned, I think the new gambling platforms will mostly be affected because they will not be known, then people will make use of the already existing platforms, and assuming gamblers are pushed to to gamble in the black market, this aspect will be more irresponsible because there will be no privacy for gamblers as everyone will be forced to go to betting shops.

[Oshosondy]

That TV part, I do not like it. It will be better it is banned. What if someone is watching TV with his children and see gambling ads. That is like exposing children to gambling from their young age.

But I think the question will remain: Are the gambling advertisements really causing harm or not?

With gambling ads, more people will know about gambling. Few will be addicted to gambling while many will gamble responsibly. So ads can cause it, but it is people that should discipline themselves.

[ArabBTC]

I won’t want to use the word harmful while referring to gambling ads because i don’t see the harm in it, gambling is a voluntary decision made by an adult, it is choice based game, the highest casinos can do is run ads, it is left for an individual to either accept to gamble or reject.

Other companies run ads too but that doesn’t force customers to buy there products so i don’t see any reason why gambling ads should be classified as harmful, we are in a free world where people should be allowed to choose what they prefer, the best the government can do is put in some regulations in such a way that children below certain age limits won’t get to see such gambling ads and also tell the casinos to always add gamble responsibly to their adverts. Personally i have gained strong maturity in gambling and there is no level of gambling ads that can push me into gambling when i actually don’t want to gamble, same way i have control over certain other habits, as a human you must take control of your body and thought process so that you can keep every habit under check.

[Ziskinberg]

No, it doesn't really harm people if it's done properly. Gambling advertisements just need to be regulated well, the same way gambling itself should be regulated.

The gambling industry is still a big industry that contributes taxes to the country. Gambling addiction cannot be completely avoided because there will always be people who can become addicted, so limiting ads and having proper regulation can already help reduce the problem.

For me, banning it completely is the worst approach because it doesn't really educate people, and sometimes it just looks like the government is avoiding the harder job of regulating it properly. We've already seen countries that completely ban gambling, yet gambling addiction still exists because people can easily access offshore gambling sites online.

[$crypto$]

The government wants to reduce the negative impact of gambling, why not ban it completely? I know it is not possible because the tax revenue from gambling is very large let alone in the show ads on TV.

I believe the percentage of research from these universities, due to the fact his football fans will be while betting and watching his, I also believe the user here more sports betting.

The problem of gambling advertising rules that become strict, it will indeed create an illegal black market that will proliferate, today the government blocks gambling sites then tomorrow they will create new sites.

[casey15]

Gambling ads causes harm.. and the main reason is fact that these ads gives unrealistic expectations.they never show you people losing, it's only the wins that are shown. And in reality there are more losers than winners. They sell you false gains. The addiction disclaimer and money disclaimer is usually not emphasized.. they will just put it in a very small writing in one corner of the screen.  That false profit is what makes it so dangerous. And it is these quick money claims that make even children engage in gambling too. I think bans of these ads will really be effective to regulate addictions

[Sobz]

Short answer is Yes, gambling ads can harm anyone and it can influence someone to go and try gambling.

But I have a debate with this from a friend and my arguments is that it depends on who is reading the ads. If you are that person who easily tempted and succumb to it, they it will harm you.

However, there are individuals who are not going to be affected by this ads, and will just laugh it off.

So it will only affect those persons that are vulnerable and weak.

I believe if there are no ads people will still look for a way to still gamble. I dont think gambling ads are the problem but the mindset. Gambling ads can be banned but the mind still remains the same and gamblers will still gamble the way they likes based on their mindset.  Since even if ads are taking away some gamblers will still want to gamble irresponsible and some underage would still want to gamble and get addicted, gambling companies and the government needs to do more in the awareness of gambling education,  this will still make a good impact to combat irresponsible gambling.

[qwertyup23]

There's a lot more in the link.
But I think the question will remain: Are the gambling advertisements really causing harm or not?

They are causing more problems for players. It's not even something which should be up for debate, but at the same time, gambling ads are the only means to get their product out there to be known by gamblers.

The major problem to me lies with how those promotions are being run and the type of information those advertisers are passing out, especially social media promotions, which have the highest risk. You see casinos promoting themselves as an easy and safe place to make fast money, which is exactly the opposite of what an average gambler gets.

I find this argument interesting- some gambling companies mask their intentions by specifically stating that gambling is a safe and easy way to get money which attracts more people in the process.

The problem with gambling advertisements is on the content itself. Any kind of advertisement should be lessened or even prohibited at this point. However, I do think that this kind of limitation is a good step towards the right direction. Even if some may argue that it is a band-aid solution, it is definitely one of those solution that balances the interest of the state in earning revenue vs keeping the welfare of its citizens especially the youth.

Personally, I do think that the solution here is catered towards at the very core of gambling itself- which is attacking the institution. Instead of prohibition on advertisements, I think the government should consider prohibiting its access all throughout.

[_act_]

I won’t want to use the word harmful while referring to gambling ads because i don’t see the harm in it, gambling is a voluntary decision made by an adult, it is choice based game, the highest casinos can do is run ads, it is left for an individual to either accept to gamble or reject.

Other companies run ads too but that doesn’t force customers to buy there products so i don’t see any reason why gambling ads should be classified as harmful

Someone that saw gambling ad and begin gambling by registering through the gambling ads, but later get addicted to gambling. Such person will say otherwise of what you have posted. The person will blame all on the gambling ads.

Forum like this are the best place gambling can be advertised because we have a board that we are discussing about gambling, and gambling addiction is one of the topics that we are discussing about. Some people are not aware of the coming addiction until they become the victim of the disease.

[Bryan jessy]

The truth is that; ads can influence the numbers of gamblers and if gambling ads most be ban it has to be generally ban from every devices where it can be viewed not only on social media but on television channels as well, and the real fact is if eventually they ban gambling it will not only affect the gamblers but it will affect those working in that casinos because they are going to be losing their job, honestly even with ads or without gambling ads flying all over the place whoever that wants to gamble will still gamble because they already know what gambling is all about so it is nobody's fault that underage are into gambling, I think it's better to hold people around responsible rather than blaming it on casinos.

[Frankolala]

Gambling ad is a big problem to gamblers because it gives them false hope that they can hit a life changing amount and that will lure them into gambling even after losing. The ads aren't portraying the real picture of gambling which is misleading. Both the gamblers and non gamblers are been affected by gambling ads because for a non gambler, it will give him a reason to start gambling to make profit and for gamblers, it makes them chase their losses.

[bakasabo]

I think that ban either wont have effect at all, or give negative effect. Gambling is very popular in UK. I think sports betting is wide spread. There are so many betting shops that someone might think that almost every second citizen bets on sport and on football in particular. Might be said that gambling is part of their culture already. If they ban gambling advertisement, how would Premier Leagues survive without gambling sponsors? Great example of banning advertisements have already discussed here. Does ban of smoking ads made people smoke less?

[MArsland]

The problem of gambling advertising rules that become strict, it will indeed create an illegal black market that will proliferate, today the government blocks gambling sites then tomorrow they will create new sites.

Okay, this has to be seen from both sides. I would probably take up regulation, well the problem is whether the councils that take care of gambling are ready to be bound by a clear operating rules? they feel unfair because gambling advertising is a source of profit but when operating in a country that does want gambling in control means there is only one solution that is regulation, all activities are limited to operations, casinos can operate but still follow rules such as licensing, advertising, player protection, and age limits.

[Iranus]

For example, researchers at the University of Sheffield revealed that soccer fans were 22-33% more likely to bet when watching World Cup matches with gambling ads on TV.

I don't view this as case of advertisement causing problem gambling.
It actually demonstrate measurable impact of advertising on betting behavior.
However it doesn't prove entire causal chain regarding all form of gambling related harm.

There is also one point where I see thing bit differently from you. Idea that restricting advertising solely to regulated site would allow for clear measurement of its impact sound very logical. But in reality unlicensed market in UK cannot be so easily excluded.

That is why I find balance of regulation to be more interesting aspect. Instead of blanket ban on all advertising, they should observe result of targeted restriction. Such as shutting down advertising by unlicensed operators.

[danherbias07]

That TV part, I do not like it. It will be better it is banned. What if someone is watching TV with his children and see gambling ads. That is like exposing children to gambling from their young age.

But I think the question will remain: Are the gambling advertisements really causing harm or not?

With gambling ads, more people will know about gambling. Few will be addicted to gambling while many will gamble responsibly. So ads can cause it, but it is people that should discipline themselves.

Actually, this is already happening to me now. While watching YouTube videos, you cannot stop a gambling advertisement from suddenly popping up. They see it, but I don't warn them yet because they don't ask questions yet. As much as possible, I want them to stay unaware of it.
You are right. The TV part is what I don't like, too. Gambling advertisements that will be shown on local television channels, especially on sports that can be watched by kids, should be blurred, or whatever they can do so kids won't see it.

I like that last part, though. People should still be responsible for what they do.

[Charles-Tim]

Gambling ad is a big problem to gamblers because it gives them false hope that they can hit a life changing amount and that will lure them into gambling even after losing. The ads aren't portraying the real picture of gambling which is misleading. Both the gamblers and non gamblers are been affected by gambling ads because for a non gambler, it will give him a reason to start gambling to make profit and for gamblers, it makes them chase their losses.

People should know how to differentiate between looking too good to be true and what can be true. In anything someone want to put money on, the person should make findings about the thing. Search engines and AI like Gemini and ChatGPT can easily give the person answers that can discourage them to register on any gambling site if what they have in mind is to make money from it.

There are fake ads everywhere. I most commonly see it in gambling, trading and on loan apps. All what they advertise are not true, but a means to make sure people register I make use of their site.

But what is the work of the regulators? They failed to stop such ads that to me, look not legal.