Bristol imposes updated ban on gambling ads and sponsorships
Bristol City Council has revealed that it has altered its policy on advertising, which will now be including a ban on all advertisements related to gambling or insinuating it.
Local press has reported that this new move will cost the city about £150,000 in revenue loss. Some other factors that will be prohibited under the new policy are alcohol and high sugar and fat containing foods.
The council’s strategy is a ‘Health in all Policies’ one, despite the fact that many campaigners and advocates have stated that the prohibition on many products that are present on sites owned by the council (including various screens, bus stops and billboards) isn’t exactly the best. The sites in which these rules should be applied are social media platforms, screens in libraries and museums, as well as 180 different bus stops.
Aside from that, the council has also stated that it won’t be allowing such advertising in all the parks of the city, except if it is for a certain event that is taking place in there. It has also mentioned that if there is an event that needs advertising during it, it has to make sure that the ad stays within the boundaries of the space where the event is being held.
Councillor Asher Craig, who is the Deputy Mayor for Bristol, said:
“We take the health of our residents seriously and have been working with our local public health experts for some time to find ways to support the health of our citizens. One of the ways we intend to do this is to restrict the most harmful types of advertising from city centre banners, digital screens and bus stop adverts. By putting people’s health first, we have made Bristol’s policy one of the strongest in the country, leading by example and showing willingness to take a potential hit on our income in order to support people’s health and wellbeing.”
This new policy comes right as the topic of gambling advertising is currently being discussed by multiple politicians in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. In the former, the APPG has been asking ITV and Channel 5 to put an end to their daytime gambling sponsorships and ads. In Ireland, various parties including the Labour Party, Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and others have been calling for a prohibition on gambling ads during sports events.