30-second summary
- Denmark’s new gambling Code of Conduct will come into force on July 1
- It aims to limit the amount of gambling advertising
- TV gambling advertising can’t run alongside same-day loan services
New code of conduct
The Danish Gambling Authority has announced an agreement amending the Danish Gambling Act.
Spillemyndigheden has affirmed a new political agreement, under which a new Code of Conduct become effective on July 1, according to an announcement on the authority’s website. This is an amendment to the June 2018 agreement.
The aim of the new code is to limit the amount of marketing for gambling games, particularly toward children. It is hoped that this will stop gambling from evolving from a form of entertainment into a gambling problem. A roughly translated document notes that the Code of Conduct should be considered a benchmark and only a minimum requirement for the gambling industry.
The authority states that the Code of Conduct is an opportunity to set limits and tools in place that go even further than required by law. The translation went on to add that this includes preparing clear frameworks for game advertising content and ensuring that the amount of advertising is reduced and restrictions are in place.
Gambling-related advertising on TV stations will be impacted. This means that gaming adverts can’t be run on the same adverts as services offering same-day loans.
“The gambling industry further intends to establish an industry board to deal with complaints about gambling vendor’s violations of the Code of Conduct,” the Code notes.
With problem gambling becoming an ever-increasing problem for many countries, it’s hoped that this move will help Danish authorities tackle the issue.
New ID checks
In the UK, a new method will be put into place in May to help solve its problem gambling.
Before gamblers can place a bet, they will have to pass strict ID and age checks under a new self-exclusion scheme for online addicts.
Gamstop is the nation’s self-exclusion scheme, which has seen 60,000 people sign up.
In a move to close all loopholes, gambling organizations will have to remove these gamblers by May to retain their licenses. It means that players who are trying to stop gambling won’t be tempted by the ease of placing a bet when they see gambling advertisements even if they have signed up to Gamstop.
Growing problem
For many, gambling is an innocent form of entertainment. Yet, for many more, it can lead to problems resulting in their spending money that they don’t have. This, in turn, can lead to a breakdown in relationships and mounting debt.
According to Dr. Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans and a long-time anti-gambling campaigner, the amount of online gambling is increasing and it’s thought that there are now 450,000 problem gamblers, 55,000 of whom are young people and children.
Clearly, more needs to be done to solve a contentious issue. Yet, with gambling organizations freely able to advertise their services during live sporting events or on TV, it seems that authorities are faced with an uphill battle.