Guardian Media Group has announced that it will no longer allow betting ads in its publications because they trap gamblers in an “addictive cycle”.

Chief Executive Anna Bateson said its journalists have highlighted “the devastating impact of the gambling industry in the UK and Australia”, and the group is particularly concerned how gambling firms use adverts to repeatedly target gamblers.

The new protections apply to all forms of betting advertisements, except from lotteries, across the group’s outlets worldwide, including The Guardian and The Observer.

‘Ruin’

Journalist Rob Davies criticised the Government’s White Paper reforming the Gambling Act 2005 for leaving gambling advertising “virtually untouched”.

“Vague undertakings to improve the targeting of online and social media adverts offer scant meaningful change. Casino companies can continue to market their wares over the UK’s car radios during the school run, or during the trailers of PG-rated films.”

He added: “A particularly pernicious feature of gambling addiction is that it often remains a secret until it is too late. Unlike drug or alcohol abuse, which is often physically evident, a gambler can silently ruin their family’s finances in an evening, while their unwitting partner sits next to them on the sofa.”

Debt

Davies highlighted the inquest into the death of Luke Ashton, which is investigating whether gambling firm Betfair contributed to his suicide by targeting him with free bets during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ashton had previously racked up £18,000 in gambling debts from online betting firms, but managed to pay the money back before starting to gamble more than 100 times a day by the end of March 2021.

Betfair, which is owned by Flutter UK & Ireland, reportedly considered Ashton “low risk” and only sent him automated “awareness” emails rather than assessing his behaviour or suspending his account.

Football

Last month, Northern Ireland international keeper and recovering gambling addict Trevor Carson said gambling ads should be banned from football.

Carson told Good Morning Ulster there is “no hiding place” from gambling advertisements in sport and that bookmakers should be stopped from “aiding” addiction.

The goalkeeper, who now plays for St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, has spoken openly about his addiction, describing it as a “dark place” that left him at “rock bottom”. Carson estimates that at one stage he threw away more than £30,000 during a two-month period.