2025 is going to be an interesting year for the UK gambling industry.
After lots of promises but little action, tighter regulation of gambling operators is on its way. How might this affect the advertising of gambling on UK radio?
There has been talk of reforming the UK gambling industry for several years. The Tory manifesto for the 2019 General Election promised reform of the Gambling Act 2005. Little happened until 2023 when a White Paper on the subject was published.
2024 saw a General Election take place and a change of government. Labour agreed with most of what had been included in the White Paper and after more consultation with the gambling industry, some concrete plans were confirmed.
The main concerns of the government are the growing online industry and the safety of gamblers, particularly younger players. It has been announced that the maximum stake for online slots will be £2 for players aged between 18 and 24 and £5 for those who are 25 or over.
A compulsory levy on gambling companies will also be introduced with the aim of raising £100 million a year. This will be used to help fund research and treatment of those suffering gambling harm.
While those measures have been announced, the industry is still waiting to hear what will happen regarding the advertising of gambling, particularly on UK radio. Especially for new online casinos and betting platforms which enter UK gambling market. There has been concern about the current ways in which UK gambling companies advertise their services on the radio.
The Broadcast Advertising BCAP Code has been set out by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). This sets out several rules that UK radio broadcasters must have gambling advertisements centrally cleared before they are aired.
Recently a complaint was made to the ASA about a Betfair advertisement broadcast on Radio X. It was heard on the Chris Moyles show on September 3 of this year and advertised Prize Pinball. A listener claimed this wasn’t appropriate for potential underage listeners.
The ASA took no action as it was found that the advertisement was targeted at adults and statistics showed that 88% of the station’s audience was aged 25 or over.
The Gambling Act 2005 allows the Secretary of State to set down regulations regarding such advertising. This can cover areas such as what time they are broadcast and ensuring children and other vulnerable members of the population are protected. Only companies that hold a UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence can have advertisements broadcast on the radio.
A so-called watershed is in place which states that gambling advertisements can only be broadcast on UK radio after 9 pm. However, there are concerns over the way in which gambling is mentioned well before this watershed.
The broadcasting of sporting events on UK radio draws large audiences. On BBC radio, live coverage of for example English Premiership league games does not include mentions of gambling companies. However, it is a very different story when it comes to the coverage that can be heard on commercial stations, especially talkSPORT.
Their football coverage regularly sees constant mentions of gambling during their commentaries. They have the rights to broadcast live coverage of English Premier League games that have a 12:30 kick-off. That’s long before the watershed and no gambling advertisements are broadcast. However, that doesn’t mean there is no mention of gambling, in fact it’s the total opposite.
Commentators and presenters give the latest odds offered on the match. They also place charity bets that receive frequent mentions. All of this can easily be listened to by younger listeners and those who may be struggling to cope with the harm their gambling is causing them.
Football commentator Clive Tyldesley used to work for TalkSport in the past. After leaving the station, Tyldesley revealed that he “never felt comfortable” about having to inform listeners of the latest match betting odds. While stating that he isn’t anti-gambling, his opinion was that “I shouldn’t have been promoting gambling.”
Gambling advertising is a problem and the 2023 White Paper did state that “good evidence” existed that it had a “disproportionate impact” on those who were struggling with their gambling behaviour. How will the new Labour government deal with the issue?
In Belgium, there has been a ban on gambling companies advertising on the radio. There is no indication at present that such a move is on its way in the UK.
It may be that the broadcasting of odds for sporting events may be restricted to matches that take place in the evening not the afternoon. That would end the constant mentioning of betting odds during daytime coverage. With the ASA keeping a close eye on radio advertisements, the government may well feel that is sufficient at present and not opt to introduce further legislation.
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