Online Casino Advertising Going Strong in UK
23 Mar 2006
The UK's Shadow Minister responsible for gambling has recently criticised fellow minister Tessa Jowell for failing to crack down on online casino advertising. Despite Jowell's announcement of a tough new approach toward online casino operators that flout UK advertising standards, Malcolm Moss says breaches of the 1968 Gaming Act continue to be commonplace. Moss has urged the government to readdress the issue of online casino advertising, stating that extra protection for the vulnerable is required urgently.In a public statement, Moss mentioned that there has not been a single prosecution made since Tessa Jowell promised to crack down on online casino companies. Moss went on to stay that it is imperative the Government takes action on the online casino companies falling foul of legislation, and accused Jowell of turning a blind eye to online casino advertising while vulnerable people are left to fall victim to the issues associated with problem gambling.
Tessa Jowell's original statements focussing on the advertising campaigns of several large online casino operators were made in 2005. Among the new penalties the minister outlined for those online casino firms flouting the law are imprisonment and hefty fines. Jowell is yet to comment on the statement from Moss.
