Advertisements for smoking were big business back in the day of the Marlboro Man. Countless brands were regularly advertised during the commercial break as well as being placed in the hands of star of stage and screen. 

Now Gamble Aware the UK’s leading gambling charity has called for casinos to carry the same hard-hitting messages for advertising. The charity has called for “smoking style” warnings. 

The gambling industry already sits beneath some of the tightest regulations for any industry in the UK.  

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Concerns Over Surge in Advertising During Euro 2024 

The call comes ahead of the Euro 2024 championships with the charity saying that a marketing surge around the football tournament could make it harder for people to cut down or quit gambling.

Unhappy with the existing campaign ‘Time to Think,’ the charity has drawn up their own guidelines, which could cause some conflict within the industry operators.  

The charity has called for much harder hitting slogans like the smoking warning ‘smoking kills’ suggesting slogans like ‘gambling can be addictive’ and “gambling comes at a cost.’ 

The semantics are important when it comes to getting a clear message across, especially to vulnerable people.

Gamble Aware receive donations from the industry and in 2023 the figure reached £50m.  

Half Surveyed Found It Hard to Escape Adverts for Gambling 

Research suggests that those who experience problems with gambling find it difficult to cut down when they are seeing adverts. A survey by YouGov found that 55% felty they could not escape adverts for gambling.  

Alexia Clifford, chief communications officer at Gamble Aware said: “We know that gambling advertising can contribute to the normalisation of gambling as just a bit of ‘harmless fun.

“We hope the health warnings and clear signposting set out in these new guidelines will ensure that people are clear about the risks of gambling and where to go for help and support should they need it.” 

BGC Defends Former and Current Slogans 

The Betting and Gaming Council has defended the recent and previous slogans for gambling adverts. 

They said that the most recent slogan had been launched after consultation with the government, academics and Gamble Aware itself to find the most “effective way of encouraging responsible betting.”