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Sky is also developing its AdSmart technology to enable people to totally block gambling advertising when watching on Sky and Virgin Media TV platforms. This will happen from June 2020 across over 140 channels, including Sky Sports, when watching television platforms that have AdSmart enabled (currently Sky Q and Sky+HD, with Virgin Media to. Nov 04, 2018 Sky is also developing its AdSmart technology to enable people to totally block gambling advertising when watching on Sky and Virgin Media TV platforms. This will happen from June 2020 across over 140 channels, including Sky Sports, when watching television platforms that have AdSmart enabled (currently Sky Q and Sky+HD, with Virgin Media to. This blocks access to all online gambling sites and applications. If you’re concerned in any way about your gambling, you can get free, independent and non-judgmental advice at BeGambleAware.org. You can also call the National Gambling Helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133.
The UK’s largest pay-TV broadcaster, Sky, has decided to limit gambling advertising to one spot per commercial break. The limits will come into force at the beginning of the soccer season next August.
Steven van Rooyen, chief executive of Sky’s UK business, said:
“Our customers are worried about gambling ads on TV – and we understand their concerns. That’s why we’ve committed to limiting the amount of gambling ads on Sky and better protecting those vulnerable to problem gambling.”
Sky is the pre-eminent broadcaster of soccer in the UK and one of the most popular sources for TV sports.
Move could cost Sky millions of dollars
It makes a lot of money from gambling advertising, mainly from sports betting operators.
The UK Daily Telegraph estimates Sky makes around £200 million ($262 million) a year from its gambling advertising. The self-imposed limitation will cost it tens of millions in lost revenue.
Sky actually auctions its peak advertising slots. That means although there will be less gambling advertising, the price of each slot could go up. This will reduce its lost revenues, but not eliminate them entirely.
Sky comes into its viewers’ houses through a set-top box. From 2020, users will be able to adjust the settings on their boxes to block all gambling adverts. Sky will replace them with adverts from other sponsors.
Italy banned all gambling advertising this year
In August this year, Italy passed new legislation to ban all gambling advertising. Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said:
“After decades, we have the first decree that was not written by economic lobbyists and vested interests. Today Italy sets a record in Europe: The first country to have abolished gambling advertising.”
The new law has been condemned by the gaming industry, and is widely seen as encouraging the black market. In the absence of legal advertising, it will be difficult for regulated sports betting operators to differentiate themselves from unlicensed operators.
Not so severe in the UK
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the government have not proposed any similar legislation for Britain. But there have been calls for more restrictions, including from the gambling industry.
GVC CEO Kenny Alexander, whose company owns the UK’s Ladbrokes brand, has demanded a ban on gambling advertising before 9 p.m. GVC also owns partypoker and has struck a joint venture deal with MGM Resortsfor expanding sports betting in the US.
Alexander said that the industry should police itself:
“Most people in the gambling industry think there are far too many ads. We should make the changes collaboratively with the rest of the industry, which might be difficult, and ultimately it’s up to the government to decide if it wants to legislate or not.”
Sky’s decision fits right in with this attitude. Both in terms of corporate social responsibility and as a means of heading off potential legislation, it makes business sense.
UKGC argues industry must take responsibility
Back in 2013, the then-chairman of the UKGC, Philip Graf, chastised the gambling industry for not taking responsibility ($) for the poor image of gambling.
He argued for a regulatory philosophy of the “minimum required to ensure players are protected from exploitation and harm.” But he could not deliver on that goal unless the gaming industry helped change public perception.
Graf said the industry has “yet to convince the public that they recognise that the entertainment they provide has real risks.”
Adding:
“Securing public confidence is surely a more cost effective way to obtain agreement to sensible changes in regulation, rather than building up a regulatory environment (some might say empire) to provide inspection reports.”
US sports betting could import this approach
It is fascinating that an online gaming boss like Kenny Alexander has so fully taken onboard Graf’s admonitions. He has been ahead of the curve all the way in building GVC up from tiny beginnings to the industry giant it now is.
US sports betting is in the process of expansion. In state hearings, gambling opponents trot out similar messages that always include the dangers to children.
As Graf said, the best way for the gambling industry to gain acceptance is to create public perception that it is part of the solution. Responsible advertising could be a key element of this.
A recovering addict has warned that the return of sport could potentially be a 'perfect storm' for problem gamblers.
The Premier League begins again on Wednesday after a three-month hiatus.
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For many it is reason to celebrate, but for those with a gambling addiction the feast of sport on the horizon is a worrying prospect.
Bray Ash, 27, reached rock bottom before admitting himself to a Gordon Moody Association residential centre in February 2018.
He now provides peer support to other problem gamblers and is concerned about the affect the return of major sport could have on those struggling with addiction.
'Now in football you can bet on the next corner, a goal inside the next five minutes, everything,' he said.
'It's a quick fix, I want the money now. People have been furloughed or lost their jobs and have financial pressures they didn't expect to have. It means they might be more likely to do things like bet in play with sport.'
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Could the return of sport, coupled with people's changing financial circumstance and the loneliness of lockdown, be a perfect storm?
'Absolutely it could,' Mr Ash said. 'When the Premier League comes back it's match after match, there's no break and it's all on TV, you can bet constantly.'
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Mr Ash started betting at school, going to the bookies after lessons but developed a gambling addiction while studying for his degree.
'When I went to university it got worse,' he said. 'I was not going to lectures but going to casinos. I could be spending hundreds, thousands of pounds a day. I remember one time I got my student loan and I gambled that away within 24 hours.
'It depended on how much money you had, that would go and then I'd be borrowing money, banks, loans, payday loans, anything. In the moment, all you want to do is gamble.'
The Gordon Moody Association, a charity which assists people with gambling addictions through residential treatment and support, has seen the number of people contacting their service increase eight-fold during the lockdown period so far.
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While a YouGov survey indicated overall participation in gambling has decreased in lockdown, some engaged gamblers are spending more money in different ways. The fear is that this problem with be exacerbated by the return of sport.
David Hollingsworth, an outreach worker and therapist at a Gordon Moody centre in south London, where residents stay for 14-week spells, believes the noise around the return of the Premier League will be damaging to problem gamblers.
'I'm not so concerned about the people who have already received our support,' he said.
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'But it is the ones waiting to be residents I'm fearful for. I don't think they have the coping skills to manage the bombardment of advertising around the return of the Premier League. And it's not just the marketing either it's the conversation, it's all anybody will be talking about, you can't escape it.'
The Universities of Stirling and Glasgow are conducting a joint study to investigate the impact the COVID-19 lockdown has had on gambling behaviour, including among potentially 'high risk' groups.
Dr Heather Wardle is one of the researchers and will observe how the return of sport and land-based betting like casinos and high street bookmakers affects these high risk groups.
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The major betting companies agreed on a self-imposed break from TV and radio advertising during lockdown but this has now ended.
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'There's a real chance they will come back hard and fast,' said Dr Wardle. 'With the message that 'sport is back and gambling and sport go hand in hand.'
'There has been a seismic shift in peoples' life circumstances. Some people may have had a positive experience in lockdown and enjoyed the break, but for others they have lost their jobs, lost their income and if they gamble, that makes them more vulnerable.'