MP warns gambling adverts are reaching children as government announces changes

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Caerphilly MP Chris Evans has called on the government to tighten restrictions on gambling adverts, with concerns children and young people are being over exposed.

Earlier this week, Mr Evans spoke in Parliament about the “normalisation” of betting, as the government announced a new levy on gambling operators.

The statutory levy will ensure gambling operators pay into NHS services designed to deal with addiction, as well as research into the types of harm it causes.

The minister for gambling, Baroness Twycross, has also confirmed the government will introduce stake limits for online slots, set at £5 per spin for adults aged 25 and over and £2 a spin for adults aged between 18 and 24.

GambleAware reported in 2020 that only 4% of 11 to 24-year-olds said they had not been exposed to gambling ads in the last month.

Mr Evans, who delivered the speech to MPs in Westminster Hall, said: “Our young people see advertising for gambling on TV, online, and on the shirts of their favourite players. This normalises betting, making it a ‘game’ or a standard part of enjoying professional sport.

“The new rules being introduced must be the first steps in a wider reform of how we approach gambling advertising, and how we protect our young people from exposure.”