Bookies boss admits: There might be too many TV ads for gambling
THE boss of a major bookmaker has admitted there ‘might be too many’ gambling advertisements on TV.
Jim Mullen, the chief executive of Ladbrokes Coral, spoke out after charities warned that British children risked becoming hooked on betting thanks to the commercials.
A Daily Mail investigation found that youngsters were being bombarded with adverts for gaming companies during live football broadcasts before the watershed.
Mr Mullen denied that there was an ‘unhealthy relationship’ between football and gambling.
But he added: ‘If you ask for my personal opinion on gambling advertising and TV, I’m sympathetic that there might be too much, but it’s well within the football authorities’ position to take a view.’
A survey by the Mail found that all 26 fixtures screened live over the Christmas holidays had at least five prewatershed commercials for betting firms.
Nearly 90 per cent were shown before the 9pm watershed, including 21 broadcast before midday.
Shirt and billboard sponsorship by gambling firms also means football coverage on the BBC’s Match of the Day is ‘saturated’ by betting promotions. A study by Goldsmiths, University of London, found the programme has even more betting coverage than Sky’s live football broadcasts.
Former England player Joey Barton, who is banned from football for breaking gambling rules, claimed that half of professionals flout them and bet on matches.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday: ‘If they found out everyone who has been betting and cracked down on it, you’d have half the league out.’
He added: ‘I think 50 per cent of the playing staff would be taken out because it’s culturally ingrained.’
The former Burnley midfielder, who is a self-confessed gambling addict, was fined £30,000 and banned for 18 months by the Football Association last April for betting on games. However, the ban was later reduced to 13 months on appeal, and is due to expire on June 1.
At the time he accused the Football Association of hypocrisy, pointing out that every time he pulled on his team’s shirt he saw a betting firm’s logo emblazoned on it. The number of TV gambling adverts has surged since 2007, when Tony Blair’s Labour government eased restrictions on high street and online betting firms.
However, charities warn that gambling was being normalised, feeding a public health crisis on the scale of obesity and alcoholism.
According to the Gambling Commission, 25,000 children aged 11 to 16 are problem gamblers, with another 36,000 at risk.
But Paul Fox, chief executive of the gaming firm Letou which sponsors Premier League side Swansea, claimed banning gambling advertisements in football would only lead to them being replaced by alcohol promotions.
‘Gambling has been part of sport for decades and is a part of British culture,’ he said. ‘It adds to the enjoyment to bet on the game or the race, but it has to be done responsibly. The UK is a free market. These clubs are going to sign to the highest bidder.’
Mr Fox added: ‘Back when I was younger it was all alcohol companies on team jerseys… now it’s all gambling. If it wasn’t for gambling companies it would be alcohol companies.
‘If Labour were to get into power and ban gambling companies from advertising on sport, the alcohol companies would be the next ones up. It’s the best way to hit the target 18-45 male demographic.’
He claimed a better way to tackle excessive gambling would be to stop customers registering with any other betting firm if they have already closed one account because they believed they had a problem.
Mr Fox said: ‘We are working on a plan whereby if you are excluded from one you are excluded from all.’
‘It’s part of British culture’