Its been announced that bans on TV and radio adverts for
casinos, betting shops and online gambling sites are to be scrapped.
The
new rules will come into operation in September as part of the Gambling Act 2005 and have been welcomed within the British gambling community.
Adverts will still be banned during shows aimed at under 18s - and anyone who appears to be under 25 cannot be shown gambling on TV or on radio.
From September, advertisers must stick to a set of rules designed to ensure they are "socially responsible". They must not, for example, depict gambling as a solution to debt.
Adverts must not show gamblers behaving in a way which is irresponsible or could lead to "financial, social or emotional harm".
The new rules were drawn up by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP).
They will be policed by the Advertising Standards Authority and any breach could be referred to the Gambling Commission or the regulator Ofcom who could impose sanctions.
Minister for Sport Richard Caborn said the government would monitor the changes and step in if problems arose.
He said of the new codes for advertising “They set out clearly what is and isn’t acceptable advertising practice for all gambling operators, while making sure that the protection of children and vulnerable people is a central consideration of all advertising campaigns.”
