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  3. October 2019: Industry Challenges

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October 2019: Industry Challenges

Phase one of the Gambling Commission’s Industry Challenge initiative, set at our industry briefing in October 2019.

Published
2 October 2019

Last updated
19 August 2021 - Changes

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  1. Contents
  2. Use of advertising technology
  3. Industry progress

Industry progress

The industry working group was led by Sky Betting and Gaming. The immediate voluntary steps the industry working group committed to include:

  1. A common list of negative search terms, for example, 'how do I self-exclude from gambling' and suppression websites, which will help shield vulnerable groups from online gambling ads.
  2. Better and more consistent use of customer data to ensure paid-for ads are targeting away from vulnerable groups across social media platforms, instead of targeting for business.
  3. Implementing an approach which means that advertising is only targeted at people over 25 years of age in social media and explore the potential around “Pay Per Click” advertising where platform facilities permit. This will protect young people an increase confidence in the social media platforms’ own age-gating.
  4. Age-gating YouTube channels and content.
  5. Producing and sharing with operators’ industry-wide good practice guidelines for responsible digital marketing.
  6. Adopting and rolling out to all affiliates a code of conduct which will be amended and updated on a regular basis to ensure all measures undertaken by the industry will be implemented equally by affiliates.

These measures will be adopted across the industry as soon as possible and in any event enshrined in the Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising (subject to consultation with Bingo Association and British Amusement Catering Trade Association) and will be effective by July 2020.

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) working group will:

  • establish a permanent cross-industry Ad-tech Forum to ensure an on-going focus on making further progress in this area, including conducting and evaluating trials of advertising technology
  • continue the proactive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders (including platforms) on agreed areas of work, with the aim of continually setting the highest standards in responsible digital advertising and marketing and ensuring that all relevant technology is utilised to achieve that
  • work with the Gambling Commission to publish and promote consumer advice, and work with online platforms and broadcasters to identify a more effective, simple and consistent approach, with regard to blocking gambling advertising
  • commit to monitoring and evaluating all actions to ensure only effective solutions are pursued.
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