Lewis Pek Editor
Comment November 2017
The topic of gambling has hit the mainstream press in the UK and once again it’s become a free-for-all. Pseudo-scientists are everywhere. “I’m no expert but...” is the most popular start to every sentence but for me, the most interesting discussion is the one surrounding the use of images and brands in advertising. The UK Gambling Commission recently joined with the Advertising Standards Authority, the Committee of Advertising Practice, and the Remote Gambling Association in calling on betting operators to remove any advertising that “may appeal to under-18s.”
Children’s iconography, which for the most part is represented by the use of cartoon characters, is the new target for attack. But what exactly does ‘may appeal” mean?
Charles Darrow created Monopoly in 1935, so it’s currently celebrating its 82nd birthday. Everyone recognises the brand and Hasbro licenses practically everywhere - so is the use of the moustachioed Mr. Monopoly appropriate in a gambling product? Spiderman is a Marvel character created in 1962. While he’s 15 in the current Homecoming movie, the actual character is 55 years old. Generations of people have been watching, reading, dressing-up and playing with these characters for decades. Are they appealing? Yes, but to a generational audience.
I STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW CUTE CHARACTERS IN AN ADULT 18+ ENVIRONMENT, ARE SUPPOSED TO ATTRACT CHILDREN.
Is a 40-year old video game character such as Pac-Man targeted at children? What child is currently playing Pac-Man (or watching terrestial TV for that matter)? And I still don’t understand how cute characters in an adult 18+ environment, be that online or land-based, are supposed to attract children. Where is the evidence to prove this? All I’ve seen thus far is outrage and moral indignation when the problem with slots games right now is that they’re struggling to appeal to a younger demographic, not the other way around.
Just as the industry has taken a progressive step towards skill-based Video Game Terminals in its bid to actively seek to attract a younger audience, are the Pac-Man and Doodle Jump games, the Simpsons cartoon, Marvel characters and DC comic heros which all abounded at G2E - are they off limits now? And is it even going to be possible to advertise skill-based games in the future?
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 Consultant
John Carroll
carroll@carrollconsulting.de
International News Editor James Marrison
jamesmarrison@gmail.com Contributors
Paul Witten, Krysztof Opalka,
Kurt Quartier, Simona Pinterova and Viv Ross
P6 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
247.COM ADVERTISING
Commercial Director John Slattery
john@gamingpublishing.co.uk +44 (0)7917 166471
Advertising Executive 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 John Pek
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