Poll: Which vertical would be hit hardest by a UK advertising ban?
Government understood to be considering a ban on all gambling-related TV commercials before the 9pm watershed
The ability for UK-facing operators to advertise bingo on TV prior to the 9pm watershed and sports betting around televised events was thrown into doubt earlier this month when the government announced it would be conducting a review into gambling advertising.
Since the introduction of the 2005 Gambling Act, these two verticals have enjoyed more freedom than poker and casino, which are restricted to post-watershed TV slots.
Government ministers are said to be concerned about what they view to be a proliferation of gambling adverts and their exposure to children, with one commenting her child could recite many of the gambling ads screened on TV.
The review into advertising comes little more than 12 months after a similar review found no action needed to be taken, bar a tightening of advertising around bonus offers.
However, with a new prime minister and cabinet in place, the government may look to take tougher action with The Times recently quoting one unnamed minster as saying “the gambling industry’s luck has run out”.
A pre-watershed ban would likely have a detrimental impact on bingo and sportsbook. The former runs ads throughout the day, particularly during the daytime in an effort to attract stay-at-home parents.
Meanwhile, adverts around sports events are particularly popular, with operators paying large sums to have slots right before kick-off and straight after half-time â although the ROI on these adverts is up for debate.
And casino may also see a knock-on effect with many bingo and sportsbook customers cross-sold into the vertical, while most bingo sites see the bulk of their revenues derived from slots and side games.
With this in mind, this week’s poll asks which vertical would be hardest hit by the withdrawal of adverts before 9pm. Have your say on the right-hand side of the page.