GB: Celebrities banned from gambling advertisements

Recently even more professional athletes and celebrities have decided to advertise for gambling providers. For example, Lothar Matthäus is advertising for the sports betting provider Interwetten and the goalkeeper legend Oliver Kahn is advertising for the industry pioneer Tipico. In Great Britain gambling advertisements from celebrities is now banned. But does a general advertising ban with celebrities make sense?

In December of last year, we had reported that British Parliamentarians had made gambling advertisements. Therefore, the recent intention of the British Advertising Standards Authority to ban gambling advertisements with celebrities is somewhat irritating. It is planned that the new regulation on gambling advertisements will come into effect on the 1st. October 2022. The aim of this ban is to offer minors better protection from the negative consequences which could arise from gambling.

Many football stars have lucrative advertising deals with gambling providers

Meanwhile it is of course not a taboo anymore, when professional athletes and other celebrities enter into advertising deals with gambling providers. In the past for example, the former national goalkeeper of the German team had between 2012 and 2020 advertised as testimonial for Tipico. Meanwhile due to his commitments as an official for FC Bayern München, the football giant is not working for the sports betting provider anymore.

The former German football player and football trainer Lothar Matthäus is advertising for the bookmaker Interwetten. The former professional player was World Football Player for two consecutive years in 1990 and 1991 and besides he was once World Champion and once European Champion. The former professional player is accordingly well known, even with the young generation.

Even the former national player Lukas Podolsk had attracted attention some time ago, when he entered into an advertising deal with the betting provider XTiP. Last summer we had already reported that some media was heavily criticised for sports betting advertisement.

British Advertising Standards Authority wants to ban gambling advertisements with celebrities

The committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), therefore the British Advertising Standards Authority, will enforce a ban on gambling advertisements from celebrities and sports professionals. This plan could force many sports betting providers to restructure their complete marketing concept. At the end of the day many celebrities and sports professionals advertise for large sports betting providers even on the British gambling market.

This measure is irksome for the gambling industry especially in view of this year’s upcoming football World Cup in Qatar. Since the new regulation will enter into force as from the 1st. October 2022, for the World Cup in December the providers will already be banned from advertising with professional athletes or other celebrities.

Besides this, the British Advertising Standards Authority wants to also ban advertising deals between influencers and gambling providers. There are also plans that no blogger, influencer or Youtuber will be allowed to advertise online gambling. Only recently we have reported about the Rapper Drake who won 10.5 million US-Dollar in the Stake Casino. And this happened even though Drake has for some time been the official partner of the gambling provider Stake. 

Conclusion

The British Advertising Standards Authority wants to implement a ban on gambling advertisements by celebrities and athletes as quickly as possible. Ideally the ban will be implemented as from the 1st. October 2022.

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