A ban in Britain on broadcast advertising for gambling is to be lifted with strict rules put in place to protect children and vulnerable members of society, regulators said today.
Under new rules, casinos, betting shops, bookmakers and internet sites will be able to advertise more widely from September as part of the Gambling Act.
Currently, only the National Lottery has been exempt from a broadcast advertising ban.
Under the new rules, ads must not encourage irresponsible gambling that could lead to financial or social harm, and must not be targeted at children or young people.
The rules mean adverts cannot be run on television or radio shows aimed at under 18s, and specify that no one in the ads should be, or appear to be, under 25. Other restrictions forbid ads from suggesting gambling can solve debt problems, provide an escape from personal problems such as depression or make links to seduction or sexual success.
Gambling ads will be monitored by the Advertising Standards Authority and if there are serious or repeated breaches of the code, advertisers could be referred to the regulator Ofcom to consider legal or other sanctions.