Should gambling adverts be banned?

[Duffers]

I said this last time this debate came up; non problem gamblers can and will still be able to gamble without gambling adverts but it will undoubtedly help stop problem gambling.

It's the positioning of it though. If you take the Ladbrokes campaign, for example, that shows a bunch of likely lads for whom betting is part of their Saturday routine (as it should be for you, of course) and the whole "which kind of gambler are you?" sory behind it. It's the normalization of it that sucks people in and with free bets aplenty the "gambling aware" thing is a complete and utter cop out. In fact, I'd go as far to say that it's actually malicious as it is 1) still an advert and 2) seems to imply that the firm is actually looking after you by not letting you bet too much. It's utter bollocks.

Like any addictive product the vast majority of income comes from a small percentage of addicts, same with alcohol. They're not interested in the bloke who has a fiver acca on a Saturday and maybe sticks a couple of quid on a big game. They want the poor sods who are hammering their weekly wages into their online casinos and all that rubbish.

Funnily enough South Park absolutely nailed it when talking about drink advertising, you can do what you want as long as you put a little warning at the end that makes it look like you care:

[Bob Fossil]

I'll be honest I don't see the point of adverts... Virtually never seen an ad and thought ooooh I'll explore that or look in to buying it.

This. Always found adverts pointless. In fact, when they disrupt a programme, I'm inclined to dislike the product / brand immensely, especially when it's repeated over and over, to the point where it would put me off.

Gambling is a bit different, I suppose in that it gives false hope to the desperate and can cause untold damage. Banning advertising won't solve the problem, but it won't do any harm so yes, get rid!

[Midget In A Pinstripe Suit]

Smoking seems to have reduced since they banned smoking ads....

[Fulham Fallout]

They disproportionately affect the poor, cause addiction and untold misery.

"Brummies are up to 50% more likely to experience harm from gambling compared to the national average, stats from charity GambleAware reveal. Their analysis found that 38,000 adults in Birmingham are currently experiencing problem gambling, with those from minority communities twice as likely as white British counterparts to do so. Niran Kahlon from West Midlands-based gambling treatment provider Aquarius said: “Gambling can be just as harmful to an individual as other conditions, like anxiety or depression.”

I like having Boilerman rather than some faceless Chinese betting scumpany... should we go further though?

Says the man who takes bets on here

You couldn’t make it up

[NewWanker]

Smoking seems to have reduced since they banned smoking ads....

See my comment re: vaping. Loads of kids, even school age kids do it now, yet no advertising. Yet it's seen as cool and harmless, when it's not either.

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I'll be honest I don't see the point of adverts... Virtually never seen an ad and thought ooooh I'll explore that or look in to buying it.

This. Always found adverts pointless. In fact, when they disrupt a programme, I'm inclined to dislike the product / brand immensely, especially when it's repeated over and over, to the point where it would put me off.

Gambling is a bit different, I suppose in that it gives false hope to the desperate and can cause untold damage. Banning advertising won't solve the problem, but it won't do any harm so yes, get rid!

Totally agree. When ads come on in the middle of something that I'm enjoying I feel negatively about the brand being advertised. I simply don't get it. I guess some of us are less susceptible to influence than others though? I mean with the billions spent on ads, they must work surely?

[Brentbaggie]

Smoking seems to have reduced since they banned smoking ads....

See my comment re: vaping. Loads of kids, even school age kids do it now, yet no advertising. Yet it's seen as cool and harmless, when it's not either.

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I'll be honest I don't see the point of adverts... Virtually never seen an ad and thought ooooh I'll explore that or look in to buying it.

This. Always found adverts pointless. In fact, when they disrupt a programme, I'm inclined to dislike the product / brand immensely, especially when it's repeated over and over, to the point where it would put me off.

Gambling is a bit different, I suppose in that it gives false hope to the desperate and can cause untold damage. Banning advertising won't solve the problem, but it won't do any harm so yes, get rid!

Totally agree. When ads come on in the middle of something that I'm enjoying I feel negatively about the brand being advertised. I simply don't get it. I guess some of us are less susceptible to influence than others though? I mean with the billions spent on ads, they must work surely?

People make the mistake of thinking that they behave rationally and consciously when it comes to advertising.  Much of advertising works on a subliminal level. Smart advertising execs understand that the idea is to place the name or logo of a company or product in such a way as to act upon the unconscious memory mechanism.  You may not want to believe it but a huge amount of research has proved that people are more likely to choose a product on the basis that it has registered with them subliminally.

Crap adverts may not be quite as crap as you think.  Companies do not spend millions on the basis that the advert is annoying and puts people off. It just seems that way.

[MrFizz]

All of a sudden I have an irresistable urge to place a bet on something. Uncanny.

[SuperBob2002]

I'm happy with any law or legislation that bins off those Postcode Lottery and Bingo adverts. Fuck off.

[Squid]

Gambling advertising should go the way of tobacco advertising. Gambling addiction must be a huge issue and the adverts portraying it as a harmless little flutter don't help.

[NewWanker]

Smoking seems to have reduced since they banned smoking ads....

See my comment re: vaping. Loads of kids, even school age kids do it now, yet no advertising. Yet it's seen as cool and harmless, when it's not either.

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I'll be honest I don't see the point of adverts... Virtually never seen an ad and thought ooooh I'll explore that or look in to buying it.

This. Always found adverts pointless. In fact, when they disrupt a programme, I'm inclined to dislike the product / brand immensely, especially when it's repeated over and over, to the point where it would put me off.

Gambling is a bit different, I suppose in that it gives false hope to the desperate and can cause untold damage. Banning advertising won't solve the problem, but it won't do any harm so yes, get rid!

Totally agree. When ads come on in the middle of something that I'm enjoying I feel negatively about the brand being advertised. I simply don't get it. I guess some of us are less susceptible to influence than others though? I mean with the billions spent on ads, they must work surely?

People make the mistake of thinking that they behave rationally and consciously when it comes to advertising.  Much of advertising works on a subliminal level. Smart advertising execs understand that the idea is to place the name or logo of a company or product in such a way as to act upon the unconscious memory mechanism.  You may not want to believe it but a huge amount of research has proved that people are more likely to choose a product on the basis that it has registered with them subliminally.

Crap adverts may not be quite as crap as you think.  Companies do not spend millions on the basis that the advert is annoying and puts people off. It just seems that way.

I get all that, and obviously it must work, I just know if I want to buy something (big / expensive / important) the first thing I do is go on review sites, then hunt for the best price. Sure certain brands I know for certain things are good, but that's from personal or family/friends experiences...

I've been more influenced by the talk of the Ninja electric BBQs on here than any adverts I've seen, that and I already know Ninja cooking stuff is mint (from experience, not from the ads...)