France Puts Forward Proposal for Safer Gambling Ad Messaging

A new decree put forward by the government has gone into detail to define the exact parameters of gambling advertisement in the country and how it should be done properly. Essentially, the advertorial standards are increasing across the board.

Using Gambling Advertisements to Increase Awareness about Product Dangers

The new messaging should be in black writing on a yellow background, for one, which would make it more visible. Brands would be obligated to ensure that they conspicuously warn customers of the risks associated with gambling.

Any message in a gambling ad should be at least 15% of the advert’s size so that the messages and letters are eligible. Should this decree go forward, brands will have 30 days after its implementation to ensure that they are compliant with the rules as outlined by the new rules. This is not the only recent change either.

However, the new decree does not come on a whim either as it used scientific evidence provided by the French Public Health Agency which provided data about gambling and how consumers interacted with the current messages available in various ads.

For 73% of the gamblers interviewed by the institution, it made sense to feature messages warning about the risks of gambling-related harm in advertisements. This comes at a time when the number of problem gamblers in the country has grown to around 370,000 people in France right now – higher than ever before.

This data has been leveraged by the decree to ensure that a meaningful change can begin to be made in France. The changes in messaging laws have to do with the fast-evolving nature of the advertisement world itself, especially when it has to do with online ads and high-risk products.

The decree acknowledged that for the majority of gamblers, gambling was not actually a risky activity, but it could be. More importantly, the government and the industry had an obligation to make the industry safer for those at-risk and most vulnerable by introducing robust standards that protect consumers preemptively.

Ensuring that Role Models Are Not Used to Push Gambling Messages

This is hardly the only major that has been taken recently by French authorities and regulators seek to ensure that they uphold high ethical standards and guidelines on gambling and gambling advertisement. Earlier this month, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux, which regulates the gambling industry in the country, issued a prohibition of the use of athlete images to promote gambling products.

This brings France closer to the orbit of other countries in Europe that are actively looking to ensure that role models aren’t used to influence or push people into gambling. The Belgian Gambling Commission and the ANJ previously revealed a partnership with the two watchdogs agreeing to work together to make their respective markets safer.