Celebrities are to be banned from appearing in gambling advertisements under new rules announced by the Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP).
According to the new rules, sportspeople, celebrities, reality TV stars, and social media influences who are “likely to be of strong appeal to children or young persons” will be banned from appearing in gambling advertisements.
In addition, the rules will apply to broadcast media like advertisements on television, radio, and cinema, as well as non-broadcast media like billboards, posters, the internet, and newspapers.
CAP’s new rules also ban showing specific teams’ football kits and stadiums in ads and using video game content and gameplay in gambling advertisements too.
The new rules come into effect on October 1st, 2022, ahead of the football World Cup in November, and are being introduced to protect those under 18 and other vulnerable groups. CAP held a consultation on whether the rules should be tightened back in October 2020, leading to the new requirements announced today (April 5th, 2022).
Shahriar Coupal, the Director of the CAP, said in a statement to The Guardian: “No more top-flight footballers or other high-profile sportspeople promoting the latest odds.
“No more social media influences, TV stars or other celebrities popular with children inviting us to bet on red. And no more gambling ads featuring video game images or gameplay familiar to many children’s lives.”
He added: “This might not seem immediately significant, but its effect – particularly in a World Cup year – will be dramatic.
“By ending these practices, our new rules invite a new era for gambling ads, more particular to the adult audience they can target and more befitting of the age-restricted product they’re promoting.”
The news comes as the UK government closes in on publishing its Gambling Review white paper next month, in which many expect it to ban gambling sports sponsorships and announce a slew of other changes too.
