EGBA targets responsible advertising during Euro 2020
Pan-European trade body reveals members will adhere to code of conduct throughout rescheduled tournament
Members of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) have committed to responsible gambling advertising throughout the Euro 2020 tournament.
Adherence to this commitment will be measured against the EGBA’s code of conduct on responsible advertising by an independent body, the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), which is made up of advertising standards bodies from across Europe.
This marks the first time EGBA members will be assessed against the code of conduct since it launched in April 2020, with the first monitoring exercise looking at adverts appearing during Euro 2020.
As part of the monitoring process, global advertising ratings agency Nielsen will track the advertising content of EGBA members across TV, social media and digital advertising in four specific countries: Greece, Romania, Sweden and Ireland.
The EASA will provide the EGBA with an analysis of the results, including further recommendations to support compliance and improve the effectiveness of the code.
The EGBA code includes moderating content requirements that operators should provide clear and non-misleading information about online gambling services in a socially responsible way.
According to the code, operator marketing should not knowingly exploit the inexperience, susceptibilities or aspirations of minors, nor be specifically designed to appeal to this age group.
All responsible gambling messaging should inform players of risks related to gambling and encourage appropriate gambling behaviour.
In respect of social media, the EGBA code suggests operators should adhere to the code when working with influencers, brand ambassadors, streamers and podcasts in gambling ads on platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.
Current EGBA members include bet365, Entain, Kindred Group, Betsson and William Hill.
EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer said: “EGBA members are committed to advertising in a socially responsible way, even more so during prominent events like the Euro 2020 football championships.
“EGBA’s responsible advertising code puts this commitment into action and independent third-party monitoring of the code will support both compliance and trust in the code.
“Advertising is a hot topic in many countries and the gambling sector must take more responsibility for the content and tone of its advertising.
“We hope gambling authorities around Europe will acknowledge the efforts made by EGBA members to raise the bar in responsible advertising standards,” he added.