Latest News
Gambling adverts are in 95% of TV matches
Some 95% of TV advertising breaks during live UK football matches feature at least one gambling advert, the Victoria Derbyshire show has found.
One in five of the commercials broadcast across 25 matches were for betting firms, rising to more than one in three in some games.
The government is considering whether new restrictions are needed, with a report expected as early as this week.
The industry says the adverts have “limited impact” on gambling rates.
Under an agreement with the industry commercials can only be shown after the 21:00 watershed except in live sporting events.
The research looked at 25 games involving British teams broadcast this season, from the build-up through to the post-match chat on BT Sport, Sky Sports and ITV.
In these matches there was a total of 1,324 commercials and sponsorship indents, and of these, 272 were for gambling.
For some games the rate of gambling adverts was even higher – in Everton’s match against Apollon Limassol on 28 September on BT Sport, 40% of the adverts and sponsorship indents were for betting, with 18 adverts for five firms.
In Sky Sports’ coverage of Scotland’s 3-0 defeat by Slovakia on 11 October, 37% of the commercials were betting-related, with 19 gambling adverts for eight different firms.
In 2007, the then Labour government relaxed the rules around gambling advertising, letting high street and online betting firms show TV commercials for the first time.
In 2016, betting firms spent £150m a year on TV adverts. A single advert for Premiership football is thought to cost about £35,000.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, said: “We are concerned about the effects of children and young people being exposed to gambling advertising due to the pre-watershed exemption for live sporting events. The government has an opportunity to address this in the forthcoming review.“
Earlier this year, Australia banned all gambling adverts in live sport before the watershed, while Belgium has recently done the same.
Last month, the Local Government Association called for greater restrictions. It said it was concerned the volume of gambling advertising was undermining the government’s aim for socially responsible growth in the sector.
It highlighted that the adverts in live matches were screened to millions of viewers including children, while half of Premier League and Championship football teams were sponsored by betting companies.
A recent study by Goldsmiths University found more than 250 separate gaming adverts on screen during the BBC’s Match of the Day programme. These were mostly on shirts, hoardings and post-match interviews.
Greater restrictions on advertising are expected in a major review of the sector, which could be released by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport this week or early next month.
The government said it “expects the gambling sector to protect players”, but added “clearly more work is needed”.
Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, which represents the online gambling industry, said the evidence on the effect of the adverts was “far from conclusive”.
“The reality is, gambling is normalised in this society and if you look at why, it was probably the introduction of the National Lottery, it changed the perception,” he said.
eSports
L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament
Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.
“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”
L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.
The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).
The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.
It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.
Africa
Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering
Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.
LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.
The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.
The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.
The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.
Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.
“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”
The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.
“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”
Balkans
Wazdan marks Croatian market entry with PSK partnership
Wazdan, the gain-focused developer behind some of the world’s most rewarding casino game experiences, has entered the Croatian market after signing with PSK, a leading operator in the country.
The provider is taking some of its most acclaimed slots live with the operator, including player-favourites such as 9 Coins™ 1000 Edition, Hot Slot™: Magic Bombs, Burning Stars 3™, which will become available to Croatian players for the very first time.
A prominent operator in the country since 1998, PSK is part of the internationally-known Fortuna Entertainment Group. With over 900 employees and a constantly growing player base, the brand is set to enrich its content offering with Wazdan’s titles.
Croatia marks the newest market entry for Wazdan, which further boosts its impressive European performance as a result of this deal. More partnerships in the country are expected to be announced in due course.
Radka Bacheva, Sales and Business Development at Wazdan: “Croatia is a country that boasts a fantastic amount of potential, so we’re delighted to be entering the market for the very first time with PSK, a top-tier operator.
“We’re bringing a range of our top-performing titles to its platform, and are excited to see the reception from Croatian players towards our mechanics. We’re confident this will be the start of a successful collaboration.”
Martina Pehar, Group Product Specialist at PSK said: “It’s an honour to welcome Wazdan to the Croatian market for the first time as part of this deal – we’ve seen the reception to their dynamic slots across the world, and we’re thrilled to be bringing them to our players.
“Wazdan bring a fantastic collection of their titles to our platform, including standouts such as Power of Gods: Hades and Clover Lady, that we’re sure our customers are going to embrace. We look forward to seeing the results!”
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