UK City Council Removes Gambling Adverts Via Costly Bold Policy!

‘UK City Council Removes Gambling Adverts Via Costly Bold Policy!’ (Image Source: images.unsplash.com)

A ban on all gambling adverts is now sweeping through Bristol City as the council took a bold decision which is one completely independent of national law, city, and of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)!

This is only a ban on council-owned advertising outlets to which Bristol has 17 in total both online and offline. Privately-owned companies such as local train stations are not under the policy, which is an internal policy decided by the council itself.

It is the first time a city council to ever take such action to ban or reject gambling advertisements from its advertising space, which is usually an integral part of most city council budgets.

It wasn’t just betting ads that came under the cosh of the Bristol City council ban either. Alcohol, payday loan adverts, as well as any ads related to foods with high sugar content, must also vacate the city’s many advertising spaces they currently claim, and already pay for.

Council Predicts Advertising Losses of £150k Per Annum

The Bristol City Council say this is one of the most complete policies every created by the government authority, and the decision was not an easy one. It is a move that will put a £150k dent in its yearly income.

Yet, figuratively speaking, that loss may be short-lived because the ad space can easily be replaced by other companies selling approved goods, but we are not privy to the council’s calculations on the matter.

Advertising spaces that will remove gambling and other niche markets under the new policy include bus shelters, customer service stations, online advertising outlets, and more. Overall, the council has 17 areas of advertisement, and although many of these can be replaced by approved brands, there will be some loss across the digital advertising spaces managed by the city council’s advertising department.

Ban Across All Council Managed Digital Advertising Space

While billboards on high street poster spaces may well replace some of that lost income, we assume the calculated £150k loss will be from digital advertising via city council managed web space. As digital advertising space is generally unlimited, replacing lost revenue in this area is practically impossible unless the council increases its prices!

The ban is likely to be a popular one by most citizens! And, although UK citizens are against the current UKGC plans to limit gambling by placing a cap on how much people can bet per month, the lack of gambling advertising on city council ad spaces is one most probably will not notice or have them throwing their arms up against it. The move only affects the gambling companies as well as other niche markets included in the ban. However, whether the budget shortfall could backfire is something the council will hopefully already have a contingency plan in place for!