UK trade body the Betting and Gaming Council noted that the number of betting ads fell from 167 to 110 in the 2022 Fifa World Cup compared to the previous tournament, as the Gambling Act review approaches.
According to new data referred to by the BGC, there has been a 34% decline in the number of ads being shown on ITV from 2018 to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This year’s average comes out to 4.5 ads per live match, while 2018’s average is almost double that at 8.35.
The BGC notes that this reduction is due to the voluntary “whistle-to-whistle” ad ban that prohibits television betting ads from being shown from five minutes before the match begins to five minutes after it completes, before the 9pm watershed.
According to a report cited by the Betting and Gaming Council, this ban, introduced in 2019, “had led to a 97% reduction in the number of such ads being seen by children at that time”.
The BGC also highlighted the commitment to safer gambling practices within its members’ advert..
