UK gaming regulators are getting ready to impose a daytime ban on all gambling advertising. The proposed ban is part of a larger effort to crack down on the rapid rise of problem gambling across the United Kingdom.
News of the advertising prohibition is being reported in Friday’s edition of The Sun, though details, and on-the-record sources, were scarce.
According to the report, an unnamed government official said that a proliferation of gambling ads, especially on the weekends, were sending a message to UK children that gambling on sports is normal. (Given the popularity of UK sports betting, that statement is somewhat accurate.)
But it isn’t just the impact on children that’s driving the ban. The paper also reported that the number of problem gamblers in the country in the country has been rising at an alarming rate in recent years.
The Sun cited a recent report by the UK Gambling Commission that found the total number of problem gamblers in the country has rise from 0.4 per cent of the population to 0.7 per cent. In terms of actual people, that represents around 336,000 people.
Still, the Commission is particularly concerned about the number of young people who are developing bad gambling habits. Their report found that nearly 1.5 percent of the population age 18-24 are problem gamblers.
As the rules stand today, gambling ads are permitted only after what is known as the watershed at 9 p.m. However, exceptions are made for bingo and live sporting events.
That rule, it seems is likely coming to an end. In the words of the Sun’s unnamed source, “The gambling industry’s luck has run out.”