The Guardian Decides to Stop Taking Gambling Advertisements

The Guardian newspaper has announced that it will no longer be taking advertising from gambling companies. People will no longer see, either in print or online, advertising from online casinos, scratchcards and sports betting firms.

Why is The Guardian Refusing to Allow Gambling Advertising?

This decision by The Guardian to refuse gambling advertising in its print and online platforms, which includes its downloadable mobile app, was announced by its owners. This also include The Guardian Weekly and the Observer. While sports betting, online casino and scratchcards will not be allowed to appear in advertising, The Guardian will still allow lottery advertising to be permitted. This is a global ban from The Guardian on gambling advertising.

The newspaper’s decision comes after the UK Government published a white paper on gambling in April, which put forward new ways to regulate the gambling industry, particularly with so many technological advancements in the digital age. However, no new action was taken by the government as they stated that the measures in place already do their job in protecting the most vulnerable in our society.

The newspaper stated that as there were studies showing a correlation between gambling advertising and engagement in regular gambling, which gave it the push to ban this form of advertising on its platform.

This ban on gambling advertising also comes after the newspaper announced a ban on adverts from fossil fuels companies back in 2020.

The Gambling Industry and Advertising

In recent years, there has been a large increase in gambling advertising, in particular with online sports betting. This is also fuelled by smartphones as players can easily place a bet within minutes from the touch of their mobile phone.

Much of the UK media is reliant on gambling advertising to fund its business models and social media channels such as TikTok are trialling gambling advertising in Australia.

The Guardian has done a lot of reporting on the UK Government’s proposed betting reforms which also led to this decision to ban gambling advertising. However, the newspaper also stated that it fully supports and respects individuals’ choices to enjoy occasional sports betting.