Lewis Pek Editor
Comment
December 2019
I very rarely surprise my son, I think he’s pretty much got me pegged, but I recently told him to admonish the gaming industry, and I think it genuinely shocked him. The context for the discussion was an English GCSE oral presentation in which he’d chosen the topic of underage gambling. Knowing that his class and teacher would have little first-hand knowledge, while he’d have access to a massive resource of information, it seemed like an easy issue.
I pointed him in the direction of the recent UK Gambling Commission report on the subject and the Cardiff University report released in the summer, which takes a hard line, while the UKGC report is a little more forgiving. Outlining the presentation, he was to argue that the industry is much maligned and tries its hardest to prevent all contact with those under age. However, this was quickly undermined.
I had explained at length that the industry-led decision for a whistle-to-whistle ban, now enforced during sporting events on television, prevented children from being exposed to gambling advertising before the watershed of 9pm, a period starting five minutes before and after the match. I said this was done voluntarily by some of the biggest gaming companies in the UK and represented a land-mark of significant consequence for the protection of minors and the image of the industry itself.
THE WHISTLE-TO-WHISTLE BAN PREVENTS CHILDREN FROM BEING EXPOSED TO TV GAMBLING ADVERTISING BEFORE THE WATERSHED
As he was listening to this sales pitch for the industry, my son was multi- tasking watching a video on his phone. Never quite sure how much of his concentration I’m afforded at any one time, when he paused and showed me his screen I was lost for words. As I’d been explaining the great strides the industry had taken, the YouTube videogame stream he was watching incorporated a gambling advert, offering a free bet if he’d PLAY NOW! The link was live from the YouTube page and took me straight to the website. My son is 15.
As a result, the presentation to class evolved into a discussion about the way in which the gambling industry can circumventing traditional channels, those that young people are no longer watching, and instead targeting social media and streaming sites that have a direct link with the consumer in a way in which broadcast television can only dream of achieving. I helped him write his presentation and considered at the end that it was a piece fit for the Daily Mail, a right-wing UK newspaper that I despise, but I guess I don’t mind being hypocritical when the issues are closer to home.
EDITORIAL
G3 Magazine Editor Lewis Pek
lewis@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0) 1942 879291
G3Newswire Editor Phil Martin
phil@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)7801 967714
Features Editor Karen Southall
karensouthall@gmail.com
International Reporter James Marrison Staff Reporter William Bolton
william@gamingpublishing.com Contributors
Yiannis Gangas, Lyle Wraxall, Paul Witten, Milosz Szczgielski, Ivan Rozic, Domagoj Maric, Jeremy Taylor, Keith O’Loughlin
P4 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA ADVERTISING
Commercial Director John Slattery
john@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)7917 166471
Business Development Manager James Slattery
james@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)7814227219
Advertising Executive Alison Dronfield
alison@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)1204 410771
PRODUCTION
Senior Designer Gareth Irwin
Production Manager Paul Jolleys
Subscriptions Manager Jennifer Pek
Commercial Administrator Lisa Nichols
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