No EU-wide gambling ad ban as youth addiction rates climb

The European Commissioner for Justice, Democracy, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, has refused to place further regulations on gambling adverts. This comes after a rise in concerns about teen gambling, lack of regulations and ‘push gambling’. 

In a written letter on behalf of the commission, McGrath claims that there is no “legal basis for…policy measures to combat illegal gambling”. 

This was in response to the suggestion of an advertising ban on gambling across the EU, similar to those of tobacco and alcohol. 

As a result, the responsibility falls on the governments of individual countries and their gambling regulators. 

Follow suit: Current advertising restrictions 

People are urging the EU to have the same restrictions on gambling as alcohol and tobacco advertisements have. These affect TV, radio and newspaper advertisements. The rules for advertising alcohol are: 

• They are not allowed to encourage excessive drinking. 

• Alcohol can not be linked to violent, dangerous or anti-social acts.

• It shouldn’t be suggested that alcohol improves cognitive or physical activity. 

• Drinking can’t be advertised in a place which is mainly for people under the limit. 

The commission is currently working on the Digital Fairness Act, which addresses the “addictive design of digital products”. This may affect the frequency of use on these apps, but it does nothing to combat advertising aimed at children or vulnerable people. 

Main concerns

There has been a rise in young people who have a ‘problem’ with gambling. In 2023, 0.7% of young people in the UK were experiencing problems. This rose to 1.5% in 2024. 

Although this percentage is still relatively low, the increase is worrying. Especially as this directly correlates with the increase in exposure to gambling advertisements. 

In 2023, 53% of young people had seen adverts online; this has risen to 62%. 

One concern is that more young people are gambling online before their brains are fully capable of analysing the risks. Due to being exposed to casino-style games across social media sites, teenagers are “less likely to see gambling as an activity that can lead to a problem”. (RGC) 

What do the public say? 

Whilst trying to make digital products less addictive is important, what the public seems to want more is a restriction on gambling advertisements. 

Users on X say, “It’s time for the government to ban gambling advertising”. With one user wondering, “Why are influencers…telling people to use their promo codes on betting websites?”. 

Whilst there are regulations by the ASA against gambling advertisements being “of strong appeal to children”, this is difficult to define and track.

There is further guidance on what may appeal to young people, but with access to social media and changing trends, enforcement remains a challenge. 

The software developer Play’n GO has recently had its adverts banned on the grounds of appealing to children, suggesting people are right to be concerned. 

They are not the only company to get into trouble, with BetMGM receiving official warnings for featuring a famous teenage football player in their adverts. 

This goes against the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) regulations for marketing to children.  

Why restrictions are needed

Online gambling sites are openly advertised, meaning young or vulnerable people can see them at any time. 

The BBC found that “60% of young people…had seen or heard gambling advertising”. 

As young people shouldn’t be the target audience for gambling, this seems like an unnecessarily high number. 

It is not just the adverts that are on the rise, with the amount of young people actively gambling having “more than doubled”. 

Most gambling is through arcades or other informal situations. However, there has also been a rise in underage people using other family members’ online gambling accounts to make bets. 

Would restricting advertising work?

Past examples show that restricting advertising can lead to a decline in these behaviours.  

For example, when looking at the tobacco market, the number of active smokers went down. 

Once advertising restrictions on tobacco had been implemented, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported “reductions in the numbers…that start and continue to smoke”. 

The banning of adverts which promoted smoking came into action in 2003. 

In 2002, the year before the ban, 25.9% of the UK population smoked. There has been a steady decline in the years since, with only 11.9% of the UK population smoking cigarettes in 2023. 

This suggests a similar effect would happen if there were to be restrictions on gambling advertisements. 

What’s next? 

It is clear that the public wants a restriction on gambling adverts, and that it would protect vulnerable people. 

However, as a result of McGrath’s decision, the responsibility for regulating gambling advertisements now falls to the individual Governments inside the EU.