The Betting and Gaming Council has established a cross-industry Ad Tech Forum, which aims to delve into how the latest technology can be used to further protect children and vulnerable people online.
This will see tech platforms, such as Meta, Twitter, Google and Snap,provide their input into the forum, alongside advertising bodies, with the collaborative effort aiming to develop fresh ways of further protecting children online, including how data can be used to improve age accuracy.
The cross-industry effort includes BGC members, such as Flutter, bet365 and William Hill, Advertising Association members and the Lotteries Council.
Stephen Woodford, chief executive of the Advertising Association, said: “We welcome the proactive work by the gambling industry with tech platforms and advertising bodies.
“It is essential that gambling ads online and in social media meet the highest standards of social responsibility.”
Is is anticipated that the forum will build on the commitments made in the Sixth Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising, which stipulates that gambling operators must ensure all sponsored or paid for social media adverts are targeted at those aged 25 and over, unless it can be proved the adverts meet a standard of age targeting verified by an agreed third party.
Furthermore, it also stipulated that gambling adverts appearing on search engines must make clear that these products are for those aged 18-plus, while the ads themselves must include safer gambling messages.
“I am delighted that the BGC has been able to co-ordinate the Ad Tech Forum, which I’m sure will come up with new ways of protecting young people and the vulnerable online,” noted Michael Dugher, chief executive of the BGC.
“Since being set up two years ago, we have worked tirelessly to drive up standards and promote safer gambling, and this is proof of our determination to go even further.”
