EGBA to strengthen advertising code following independent assessment

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Members of the European Gaming and Betting Association have reportedly made progress in responsible advertising efforts, according to an independent monitoring.

This comes after the European Advertising Standards Alliance, assisted by advertising analytics firm Nielsen, was commissioned to assess adherence to the group’s pan-European responsible advertising code during last year’s Euro 2020 football tournament.

This first monitoring of the EGBA code is said to have discovered that it forms a solid basis for responsible advertising, with most members already applying most of its measures. 

The evaluation came from a sample of 1240 adverts from EGBA members in Greece, Romania, Ireland, and Sweden, which included TV ads, online pre-rolls, static and animated online banners, along with the social media accounts.

In their conclusions, shared with EGBA in June 2022, EASA is reported as giving positive feedback about the code, with it cited that the “comprehensive and detailed content” contained are responsible for the aforementioned solid foundation.

However, the EASA did suggest that the code could be strengthened further, particularly on the clarity of the responsible gambling message in the adverts.

This, it said, is in terms of legibility and speed; the explicit mention of legal age requirements for online gambling; the provision of a forward advice notice; and age-gating mechanisms on social media profiles.

As a next step, EGBA members will discuss how to utilise and implement the feedback to further strengthen the overall effectiveness of the code.

“We’re pleased with the monitoring results and the progress our members are making in promoting responsible advertising,” explained Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the EGBA.

“We thank EASA for their critical but constructive approach. Advertising is an essential tool to inform the public of which gambling operators are licensed and regulated – and it can be done responsibly. 

“We encourage other operators to sign up to the code and join our efforts to raise responsible advertising standards. 

“The industry must get serious about responsible and measured advertising, especially with the World Cup coming up later this year, otherwise the pressure of advertising restrictions will continue to pile on.”

The responsible advertising code for online gambling was established by EGBA in 2020 and covers advertising content, social media, minor protection, and responsible gambling messaging.