The main lobby group for the UK betting industry has told MPs that there is no evidence to support a link between sports advertising and problem gambling.
Betting and Gaming Council chief executive Michael Dugher told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee that he supported the Government’s “evidence-led” approach to the recently-released gambling White Paper.
The ministers come and go, but the reform of the game will continue with the change.
He said the industry welcomed the White Paper “very, very strongly”, not least for measures including enhanced spending checks and a new ombudsman. “And the Government, having reviewed all of the evidence, found no evidence.”
Asked by committee member John Nicolson if there should be a complete ban on advertising in sports grounds that made gambling attractive to children, Mr Dugher replied: “If the objective is to reduce harm, to tackle problem gambling, it would be a sensible thing to do if there was any evidence of a link between advertising and sports sponsorship and problem gambling.
Wes Himes, director of standards and innovation at the Betting and Gaming Council, replied: “Yes, and that’s why we work tirelessly to try to bring in more measures. We’ve developed 11 codes over the last three years, over 80 substantial measures which sit on top of regulation and legislation to create that safer gambling culture.”
Mr Himes also claimed a reduction in problem gambling rates over the last seven years, telling the committee: “They have nearly halved since 2017 to 0.3% today – one of the lowest problem gambling rates internationally. So even though there has been a rise in the enjoyment of the product, there has also been a reduction in the problem gambling rate during that same time.”
