ASA to launch probe over gambling ads during World Cup

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of the UK has received as many as 115 complaints regarding gambling advertisements on television during the World Cup in Russia. The major complaint is that the ads failed to ensure that they did not pose any risk to children or people with a gambling addiction. The ASA is looking into these commercials to check whether the ads violated the rules designed to stop them using psychological tricks to encourage placing a bet quickly.

Under ASA rules, gambling ads cannot appear on dedicated children’s channels or around programmes aimed at youngsters. However, this does not extend to football matches and other big sporting events, despite the fact that they attract huge child audiences.

An ASA spokesman said: “The gambling advertising rules already place an emphasis on protecting young and vulnerable people from potential harm. Our new guidance introduced earlier this year restricts gambling ads that create an inappropriate sense of urgency, clamps down on ads that encourage repetitive play and provides more detail on vulnerable groups like problem gamblers that marketers need to work to protect.”

“We’re currently assessing several ads that appeared during the World Cup to establish if any further action needs to be taken.”

Source: 5star.media