The UK is expected to lift its lockdown restrictions in a few days and Brits are very keen to get back to normal life. Brits love their football and they are very keen to tune into Euro 2020 which will be played across the entire continent for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Euro 2020 will commence on 11 June and will finish on 11 July. England are one of the top teams in the competition and millions of Brits will be tuning in not just to watch England play but to watch all of the Euro 2020 games.
Betting operators look forward to top sporting tournaments like Euro 2020 to advertise heavily and promote their brand and services. ITV which is one of the premier broadcasters in the UK is reported to have run as many as 172 gambling ads during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Gambling advertisers are once again expected to spend big money on their advertising budgets during Euro 2020. This is why five Members of Parliament (MP), 60 gambling addicts and medical professionals have signed an open letter to top broadcasters in the nation asking them to ban gambling ads during Euro 2020.
The letter was sent to ITV, Talksport, BT Sport and Sky Sports calling on them to make the decision to not air any gambling ads and protect problem gamblers during Euro 2020. The letter tells broadcasters that after a tough lockdown period, it was important for all viewers to be able to watch an exciting tournament like Euro 2020 without being targeted and pressurized to bet.
The Big Step
ITV Rejects Gambling Ad Ban
A gambling ad ban would cost broadcasters millions in dollars and hence it comes as no surprise that a number of them have rejected the call to ban gambling ads. ITV made it clear that it would not be banning gambling ads on the basis that there was no evidence to back the claims made in the letter.
ITV said that while they recognize that problem gambling is a concern; they would wait for the government to complete its review of the 2005 Gaming Act and follow the recommendations laid out from the review.
Problem gambling continues to be a problem in the UK as the gambling watchdog reported in 2019 that over 55,000 between 11 and 16 had an issue with gambling while a 2020 YouGov poll showed that there are over 1.4 million problem gamblers in the country.
