This appears to have been a response to nagging from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Related Harm, formerly known as the APPG on FOBTs, who have warned about an epidemic of problem gambling as a result of people being stuck at home. There is no evidence that this has occurred. Online gambling revenue has fallen by 30 per cent.
When the BGC laid out a set of new measures in late March to ease these tenuous concerns, the APPG demanded much more, saying:
“It will not come as a surprise to you, however, that we do not think that the standards you have proposed go anything like far enough."
It certainly wasn't a surprise. If it wasn't already glaringly obvious, this should have been enough for the industry to realise that they were on a hiding to nothing trying to appease people who want them destroyed.
Sensing weakness, the APPG moved on from its initial demand of a temporary betting cap of £50 a day to a cull on advertising. The industry has now duly obliged.
A lot of betting advertising is obsolete without live sport, so perhaps the industry thought it could get some positive publicity from pulling the lot. If so, it was being naive. It's open season on gambling in the UK these days and the only journalist who routinely writes about the industry is essentially an activist.
Not only have they made no friends by doing this, the BGC has walked straight into a massive elephant trap by implicitly portraying gambling advertising as harmful, saying:
This is the latest in a series of measures introduced by BGC members to safeguard customers during the COVID-19 crisis.
And...
This latest move by the regulated industry further underlines our commitment to safer betting and gaming
And...
...we recognise that removing product advertising will act as a further safeguard during covid-19.
Having given the anti-gambling lobby this open goal, what else could they APPG but score? Scarcely able to believe its luck, the APPG gave the BGC a sarcastic pat on the back and pressed home its advantage and demanded yet more.
@BetGameCouncil has now removed some gaming advertising during #COVID19 - conceding advertising is dangerous - but more must be done to truly protect vulnerable people. We’ve written today asking them to go much further and to end all advertising permanently. #timeforintegrity pic.twitter.com/ZPgZ08MzJT— Gambling Related Harm APPG (@GRHAPPG) April 29, 2020
The APPG asks, not unreasonably, why the industry is planning on bringing its advertising back if it knows that it is dangerous? (Click to enlarge.)
Gambling firms have acknowledged the harm TV ads cause, but any voluntary bans should also include direct SMS & social media marketing, which has increased during lockdown. As part of its promised review govt should assess the impact of all gambling ads, promotion & sponsorship— Clean Up Gambling (@cleanupgambling) April 27, 2020
This is extremely good news. Well done the @BetGameCouncil and I am glad that the concerns of the @GRHAPPG have been acted upon. One step at a time but let us now review gambling advertising post #Coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/krGyf0dWlf— Ronnie Cowan MP (@ronniecowan) April 27, 2020
One step at a time, indeed.
When will these people learn to stop negotiating with terrorists?
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