UK sports minister warns gambling industry again

Tracey Crouch, the UK minister responsible for Sport, Tourism and Heritage, used her address to Gambleaware’s fifth annual conference this week to again warn the gambling industry against “pushing the boundaries” on responsible advertising in the UK, claiming that such material was in general “very unpopular” with the public, and urging the industry to carefully consider the advertising content they are generating and its societal acceptability.

Our readers will recall that the industry narrowly escaped stricter advertising and marketing controls in the government’s recent triennial review.

The minister also cautioned the industry on its tepid response to a voluntary one percent contribution to responsible gaming charity Gambleaware, observing that the industry had now entered the “last chance saloon” before government started considering a mandatory statutory levy for this purpose.

The industry fell 20 percent short of its contributory target, Crouch noted, and this would not be allowed to continue.