Bristol City Council has approved a ban on gambling advertisements and sponsorship throughout the city in what is the first citywide council ban on gambling ads in the UK.
The Bristol Post reports that the move could cost the city up to £150,000 in lost revenue.
Said to be the most expansive of its kind in Britain the new ban includes the restriction of advertisements of junk food, alcohol, and payday loans.
The ban prohibits ads in council parks and green spaces and all council property unless the property is used for a private event or there is a private business operating there.
This means that the ban applies to 180 bus shelters, 17 billboards/hoardings, council social media channels, and screens at museums, libraries, and any customer service points in the city.
However, some campaigners have suggested that the ban doesn’t go far enough as private businesses are still allowed to display the ads on their properties.
Campaign group Adblock Bristol has asked mayor Marvin Rees to expand the ban to cover privately owned businesses with member Jenny Howard Coles saying:
“This is a good start, but what we really need to see is a wholesale reduction in the amount of corporate outdoor advertising on our streets and a ban on climate-wrecking products across the whole city.”
Speaking of the new ban, Councillor Asher Craig, deputy mayor with responsibility for communities, equalities and public health, said:
“We take the health of our residents seriously and have been working with our local public health experts for some time to find ways to support the health of our citizens.
“One of the ways we intend to do this is to restrict the most harmful types of advertising from city centre banners, digital screens and bus stop adverts.”
He added that:
“By putting people’s health first, we have made Bristol’s policy one of the strongest in the country, leading by example and showing willingness to take a potential hit on our income in order to support people’s health and wellbeing.”
Image credit: Nilfanion / CC BY-SA 4.0
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.