Gaming Board calls for casino ads
British casinos should be the next gambling industry to be allowed to advertise, Gaming Board chairwoman Lady Littler told industry figures last week.
At a meeting of the European Association for the Study of Gambling on Friday, Lady Littler said that while the board accepts calls for limited advertising, rules should not be relaxed so far that casinos no longer need to operate as clubs.
Under existing regulation, advertising by casinos is banned. However, casino owners through their trade body, the British Casinos Association, are pushing for liberalisation to counter competition from overseas venues and the effects of the National Lottery.
Casinos are the latest sector of the gaming industry to urge the Government to relax legislation so they can compete better. The Bingo Association of Great Britain has launched a campaign which includes demands for freer advertising.
l Bingo operator Gala has launched a poster campaign highlighting the odds against winning the National Lottery. Ad restrictions mean poster can only be displayed in venues.
Cover story, page 28