Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Betting and Gaming Council to encourage gambling firms to stop all TV and radio advertising during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown to protect people who are affected by gambling disorders.

Gambling advertising is subject to strict controls on content and placement which dictate that adverts must never be targeted at children or vulnerable people, or seek to appeal particularly to these groups. Operators who breach these rules are subject to sanction by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Gambling Commission. The ASA is currently consulting on proposals to strengthen these controls further, including new rules to minimise the potential for adverts to appeal to vulnerable people, or adversely impact them.

The government and the Gambling Commission have been clear that gambling operators must act responsibly during the Covid-19 period and the ASA has warned operators that they must not look to exploit the situation in their adverts or marketing. In June 2020 members of the Betting and Gaming Council committed to ensure at least 20% of broadcast advertising is given over to safer gambling messaging.

The Gambling Commission has monitored gambling behaviour during the Covid-19 period and will continue to do so. Survey data published by the Commission in October indicated that 84% of gamblers spent the same amount or less on gambling during lockdown (mid-March to mid-June 2020) than they had previously. The Commission updated its guidance for operators in May to increase protections for those who may be at heightened risk of gambling harm, directing operators to monitor customer behaviour more closely to identify signs of potential harm, and banning mechanisms by which customers could cancel requests to withdraw money from their account.

Ministers have regular meetings with stakeholders on a range of issues. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the government’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport.