.svg)
Body
A Conservative member of the UK parliament has called for phasing out sports sponsorships instead of banning them, saying they are key to survival for second-tier professional sports.
Pressure is growing in the UK for a ban on gambling sports sponsorships, a ban that would be flagged in the long-awaited white paper on updating of gambling laws.
But Scott Benton, who chairs an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Betting and Gaming, called for a gradual approach, saying that many sports other than Premier League football were starved for funds, especially since they were hammered by COVID-19 shutdowns.
“If it were not for gambling sponsorships, snooker, darts, lower-league football and horseracing would not survive,” he said.
Benton represents Blackpool South, a constituency which he claims has the largest number of workers employed by the gambling industry.
He was among speakers at the ICE Vox portion of the ICE London gambling conference, sharing a panel with regulators from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands and France.
Some European countries such as Italy and Belgium have banned gambling advertising.
In the Netherlands, a ban on “non-targeted” marketing is planned, which would restrict TV, radio, print and outdoor advertising.
In Denmark, an August survey said 77 percent of the Danish public would like to see gambling advertising banned, said Anders Dorph, director of the Danish Gambling Authority.
France does not ban gambling advertising, but the regulator, the National Gambling Authority (ANJ), asked licensees to “de-intensify” advertising during the recent FIFA World Cup.
But the ANJ is considering asking the legislature for new powers to more closely supervise gambling marketing, especially on social media.
“We’re not selling a common good,” ANJ chair Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin said of the industry. “We’re selling a product which is potentially toxic.”
As for the UK white paper, Benton said he was looking forward to UK arcades gaining the right to use cashless technology and casinos being allowed to add more slot machines.
Some are limited to 20 machines, under legislation that dates back to 1968.
He also claimed that affordability checks, so far voluntary, have pushed gamblers to the black market, and it could get worse if they become part of regulation.
“I’m afraid banks and credit agencies aren’t ready to impose those checks,” he said.
Gambling Commission executive director Tim Miller brushed aside fears about affordability, saying debate has become “slightly ridiculous”.
“The principle of ‘frictionless’ almost has to be part of this,” he said.
The commission has been working with the Information Commissioner’s Office on data sharing issues and with the financial industry and credit reference industry to make checks that are “frictionless but most importantly, builds public trust and confidence”, Miller said.
