The Office for the Regulation of Gambling in Slovakia is seeking to create a new industry code that will result in a crackdown on gambling ads. The Action Plan for Responsible Marketing will strive to limit the exposure of gambling products to those that it deems ‘vulnerable’ such as children or those who have gambling problems.
According to the director of the Office for the Regulation of Gambling, David Lences, it is imperative that standards for responsible advertising in the gambling industry be set as soon as possible to minimize risks.
“It is socially desirable that Slovak gambling advertising has clear standards and responsible content,” he said. “That is why we are coming up with the Action Plan for Responsible Advertising.
Gambling ads are currently found across multiple channels, including outdoor banners, and via the radio and TV.
The authority hopes to create an industry code for responsible gambling after discussing the issue with various industry stakeholders. Topics to be discussed include content, target audiences and the amount of advertising.
“This initiative of our office involves opening a professional partnership discussion,” said Lences. “It is mainly about the intensity, focus and content of advertising. It will ultimately help us to deal with the ethics of advertising in relation to vulnerable groups and children, in particular because of the need to use consumer-friendly information about operators’ products and services in advertising.”