Government To Unveil New Betting Advertising Code

The government and the betting industry have finally agreed a new advertising
code of conduct with the latter conceding that brands will no longer be able to
print their logos on children’s replica football shirts.

The advertising code, to be unveiled by the Department for Culture, Media and
Sport this week, will see all gambling firms adhere to the ruling as well as
agreeing to a restriction on advertising before the 9pm watershed.

FA Premier League clubs of the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa,
Sunderland and Blackburn all have gambling brands as their primary shirt
sponsors.

Under the new code, there will be no gambling adverts before the watershed
and they will carry ‘social responsibility signposting’ similar to that in
alcohol advertising.

The government is to continue an exemption for sport betting adverts during
televised Premiership games and other broadcast sporting events, as well as
lottery and bingo advertising – principally due to the income helping to support
grassroots and minority sports.

The new code is the first major initiative undertaken by new Culture Minister
James Purnell and is further proof of new Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s desire
to clamp down on the gambling industry following his u-turn on support for the
creation of a ‘supercasino’ in Manchester.