Bookmakers offer to fund addiction ad campaign ahead of industry review

Betting companies in the UK have offered to fund an addiction awareness campaign as the government prepares a report into the gambling industry.

Bookmakers and broadcasters have offered to plough £8m into a campaign, in a bid to coax the government into a more lenient verdict when the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport publishes its review.

According to The Guardian, the offer was made on a joint basis by several bookmakers, broadcasters and those in the advertising industry.

Labour warned that the offer could be part of a ‘stitch up’ in order to stave off the regulation of advertisements used by gambling companies.

The party has previously called upon the government to ban football clubs from wearing jerseys sponsored by betting firms.

"There must be no stitch-up to help the gambling industry avoid tighter restrictions on advertising," said deputy leader Tom Watson.

"Industry-funded campaigns highlighting the risks of problem gambling are all very well, but they can’t be an alternative to regulation."

Tony Blair’s government led a deregulation of the gambling industry, with a large increase in adverts for online casinos and gaming companies.

The review from the DCMS is expected in the autumn, after having been delayed by a rift between the department and the Treasury.