The UK’s Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) have launched a public consultation on proposals to introduce new strengthened rules and guidance to better protect children and young people (under-18s) and vulnerable people from potential gambling-advertising related harms.

CAP are proposing to update rules and guidance to further restrict the potential for gambling and lotteries ads to appeal to and adversely impact under-18s and vulnerable adults.

The UK Advertising Codes have long contained strict, category specific restrictions around gambling and lotteries ads which are designed to limit their appeal to children and children’s exposure to them. We have an ongoing commitment to review the available evidence on the potential harm arising from gambling advertising and to update our rules and guidance where there is an evidence-based case to do so.

The consultation responds to key findings from important recent research commissioned by GambleAware, which provides the first wide-ranging and in-depth picture of the impact of marketing and advertising in the UK. Its findings suggest that the creative content of gambling and lotteries advertising that abides by the UK Advertising Codes has more potential, than previously understood, to adversely impact under-18s and vulnerable adults.