Call for action on gambling ads to prevent 'experiment' on the young

If action is not taken on gambling advertising and marketing Britain is in danger of "inadvertently conducting an uncontrolled social experiment on today’s youth", the body tasked with advising the Gambling Commission has claimed.

The stark warning came in a paper published by the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB) in advice to the Gambling Commission, which on Tuesday announced further commitments to protect children and young people from the dangers of gambling.

The issue of gambling advertising and its effect on children has become increasingly debated and has come to the fore again during the World Cup in Russia.

The RGSB said that what it described as the "extensive and rapidly growing exposure of children and young people to gambling marketing and advertising" was a matter of concern which needed to be addressed, adding that ideally they should not be exposed to gambling marketing and advertising at all, "let alone in the quantities now prevalent".

The RGSB said there was good reason to think the levels of exposure "might be harmful", adding: "By not taking action, we are in danger of inadvertently conducting an uncontrolled social experiment on today’s youth, the outcome of which is uncertain but could be significant."

They said the precautionary principle should be applied "even if that involves challenging some well-established market practices".

"There is a strong case for further action to reduce both the visibility of gambling marketing and advertising to children and young people and its impact," they added. "The increased volume of exposure online, including through social media, should be a priority."

However, while the Gambling Commission acknowledged there was public concern over gambling advertising, it stopped short of adopting all the RGSB's advice.

In response, the commission said it was appropriate only "to keep under review the option of applying the precautionary principle".

It added: "The available evidence is not clear on this matter. It does not provide a compelling case that there is a need to change existing rules, but the evidence base is limited and we are working with RGSB and GambleAware to build new evidence."

The gambling regulator said action was required on areas including access and exposure to gambling by children and young people, digital and online risks and, preventative education and treatment.

The commission's executive director Tim Miller said: "The advice helps us to refocus and reinforce what we are doing already, and what we need to do next. For example, this year we will be carrying out targeted compliance and enforcement activity to identify and tackle any weaknesses in the age verification processes."

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