.svg)
Body
The Austrian Press Council has reprimanded two newspapers for running Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries articles that should properly have been labelled “paid advertising”, as advertising issues flare up across the continent.
The self-regulatory body said articles entitled “Man in Focus” published in March in the Kurier and Kronen Zeitung, which focused on the social responsibility policies of the partly government-owned gambling organisations, violated the council’s codes.
The codes stipulate that there should be a clear distinction between news and advertising in the media.
In contrast, an article in Der Standard, another Austrian publication, labelled the stories as “advertising”, according to the press council.
The news comes as gambling advertising becomes an issue once again in several European Union countries.
In the Netherlands, gambling companies have been told they are not allowed to advertise until they have received their licence, the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has said.
The regulator was clarifying advertising rules which took effect on April 1, with licensing scheduled to start from October 1.
Operators are also not allowed to offer a bonus to a player in the middle of a game or begin any promotion until a player has expressly accepted that bonus, the regulator added.
Marketing cannot be included in any warnings about addiction prevention, the regulator said.
Active players or teams cannot be used in advertising, although sports sponsorships are not banned, according to the KSA.
Persons that appear in advertising should be at least 25, to help meet standards that require advertising to not target minors.
Television advertising for gambling is barred from 6am to 7pm, the regulator said, in a rule that takes effect on November 1.
Advertising and player acquisition policies should take into account risk management and prevention of gambling addiction policies, the regulator said.
Separately, the Belgian Gaming Commission said it met with academics, gambling addiction specialists and social workers on Monday (September 6) to discuss gambling advertising.
The Lithuanian Gambling Control Authority also said it has updated a consultation on gambling advertising and promotion.
In July, a ban on bonuses and other promotions took effect in Lithuania, adding to the existing ban on advertising in the Baltic country.
