The UK’s largest betting and gaming operators in the regulated sector are set to voluntarily remove all TV and radio gaming advertising during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the industry standards body which represents betting shops, online betting and gaming, bingo and casinos, has agreed the voluntary removal of all gaming product advertising as a further part of its response to the COVID-19 lockdown, despite a drop in advertising spend and the volume of TV sport and casino advertisements dropping by up to 10 per cent.
Direct marketing (via social media, emails or SMS) by BGC members has also significantly dropped and BGC members commit to further increases in safer gambling messaging online. Existing TV and radio advertising slots will be replaced by safer gambling messages, donated to charities or removed from broadcast where contracts permit.
This is the latest in a series of measures introduced by BGC members to safeguard customers during the COVID-19 crisis. Last month the standards body, the BGC, introduced a 10 pledge action plan which set out the standards expected of its members during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This further measure comes despite a drop in online revenue of up to 30 per cent and total member revenue down by up to 60 per cent.
BGC members currently account for around 50 per cent of all gambling advertising on TV and radio. The BGC now hopes that the remaining major TV and radio gambling operators like the National Lottery and society lotteries (which account for 30 per cent) and other bingo operators follow our lead.
All operators will look to implement this change as rapidly as possible but no later than Thursday 7th May. The commitment will remain in force for 6 weeks and at a minimum until 5th June 2020. This voluntary change will apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will only be reviewed when lockdown restrictions are relaxed.
