The Guardian newspaper has announced that it will no longer allow the advertising of gambling products and services on any of its media platforms.
This means that adverts for sports betting, online casino gaming, or any other form of gambling product with the exception of lottery gaming will no longer appear on the Guardian website or in the newspaper itself.
Speaking of the move Anna Bateson, chief executive of Guardian Media Group, said
“We think now is the right time to say no to gambling advertising on all Guardian platforms, effective globally from 15 June 2023.
Our new policy will apply to all online advertisements on the Guardian’s website, app, audio, video, and newsletters, as well as print advertisements in the Guardian and Observer newspapers and Guardian Weekly. The policy covers all forms of gambling advertising, including sports betting, online casinos and scratchcards. Given the different nature of lotteries, we do not propose to include lottery advertising in this policy.”
She added:
“Our concern lies with the pervasive nature of retargeted digital advertisements that trap a portion of sports fans in an addictive cycle. By taking a stand against gambling advertising, we believe we can offer a place for sport fans all over the world to enjoy world-class sports journalism in an environment free from advertising pushing betting, wagering or online casinos.”
The move by the Guardian comes shortly after the UK government outlined changes that the gambling industry will face following the publication of its White Paper on gambling reform. However, critics of the white paper have said that the changes fail to address many of the most concerning issues in the UK gambling industry. This included no action whatsoever on the advertising of gambling products and services.
Image credit: gigijin / CC BY-SA 2.0
Based in London, Natasha is a former sports journalist with experience working for some of the biggest athletes & brands in the world of sports and iGaming.