
Senet Group strengthens advertising restrictions
Self-regulator scales its TV and online campaign as it introduces new restrictions on members' advertising
Senet Group has added new restrictions to members’ advertising which includes limitations on trackside hoardings at racecourses, as it launches a new burst of its own TV and online responsible gambling campaign.
The self-regulator, which was set up with founding members William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Paddy Power, has issued new guidance which covers hoardings which are shown on TV.
Members must not show free bet or free money signup offers on hoardings if they are aware they are going to be broadcast before the 9pm watershed, a move which essentially bans the adverts on hoardings given the usual broadcast time of racing.
Senet Group will also run a second burst of TV and online ‘Bad Betty’ advertising from today, which aims to make gamblers think twice before placing a bet and over the coming weeks will target events including cricket and Ascot.
“Our research shows that gamblers are getting the message but we want to keep reinforcing it,” Ron Finlay, Senet Group chief executive, told eGaming Review. “We want be where the eyeballs are. We’ll be reaching people who are not just watching football,” he added.
Senet has also made slight changes to the relative size of the words ‘fun’ and ‘stop’ in its yellow advertising strip, ‘When the Fun Stops, Stop’.
“We decided to change this to remove any doubt that we are serious about tackling this issue responsibly,” Finlay said.
He added that the Group was in continued talks with online and offline operators in a bid to expand its membership, following the addition of Scotbet last month.
In February the Group’s newly-appointed independent chair Wanda Goldwag told eGaming Review that it was “essential” the Group had a number of online-only operators on board and dismissed accusations it had a land-based focus.