London, United Kingdom Sep 5, 2018 (Issuewire.com) - Most people in Britain are in favour of new rules governing how betting firms promote themselves and believe this will go a long way towards cleaning up the fast-growing sector and bringing about a more level playing field, the results of a new survey show.
The survey, for UK-based betting comparison site Live Casino Comparer and carried out by Google Surveys in mid-August, found that 47.9% of respondents believed that betting companies had not always been above board with their advertising campaigns and that their promotional messages could at times be misleading. A total of 32.4% said they were not sure betting firms were engaged in dubious promotional practices, while 19.7% said they did not think they were and were happy with what was being advertised.
The sampling of public opinion comes after the Gambling Commission in Britain announced, earlier in August, the implementation of new rules on gambling firms that do not treat their customers in a fair manner. Under the new regulations, which are due to come into effect on October 31 this year, operators will be hit with tougher penalties if they are found to be in breach of advertising standards.
Making Betting and Gambling Better
When the new rules on gambling ads come into force in just over two months, the authorities will be better positioned to impose fines against gambling firms that don't abide to current advertising standards. This includes unnecessarily glamourising gambling in ads, as well as attempting to make gambling and betting appealing to minors. Indeed, firms big and small in the gambling industry have been working hard to prepare for the new rules and to ensure they are compliant, analysts said.
The clampdown will extend to betting companies with affiliations to other companies that themselves do not abide by advertising rules relating to betting and gambling. Betting firms will also find that the authorities will be able to take more immediate action against them for breaches of consumer law, including what may be perceived as misleading or unfair practices concerning withdrawals.
In addition, gambling companies will be expected to have enhanced procedures in place to deal with complaints from customers, and a deadline of eight weeks for complaints to be satisfactorily resolved will be imposed. Gambling firms will also not be permitted to send unsolicited, or spam, emails or text messages.
Growing Gambling Interest
The Live Casino Comparer survey also found that almost all who took part (94%) had never played at an online casino, while 5.9% said they might one day like to take a digital flutter. A total of 3.8% of respondents said they had never used an online casino to play games in the hope of winning money, but that they would definitely like to try it.
As for what games respondents would like to play at an online casino, of those who expressed a preference, poker was in the lead, at 8.8%, followed by blackjack at 6.7%, while 4.1% said they would be most interested in playing slot machines. The vast majority (80%) said they did not understand casino games — perhaps presenting an opportunity to online casinos to better promote their offerings.
Neil Walker, managing director of Live Casino Comparer, said the survey showed that there still existed a great deal of misunderstanding about gambling, whether online or offline, and that, on the whole, the new legislation was a positive step for the sector.
"We welcome the introduction of the new gambling promotion rules and I feel sure they will go a long way towards cleaning up this vibrant sector, which is exploding in popularity and making playing at online casinos a better experience for everyone concerned,” he said.
Media Contact
Neil Walker, Live Casino Comparer neil@livecasinocomparer.com https://www.livecasinocomparer.com/
