European Union Wants Health Warning On Gambling Ads

One of the latest pieces of news from Europe is the recent request from the European Commission that countries that display online gambling ads will have to secure these ads with a health warning. This means that in the same way that cigarette and tobacco ads are created with a warning to the general public, the same will be required for gambling ads.

European Gambling Industry

These recommendations will be used by the European Commission to curtail overspending and debt by consumers in the online gambling industry. The online gambling industry is now worth about €10 billion. The industry is currently growing in worth at about an extra 15 percent each year. This health warning will introduce controls and it is hoped will reduce the amount of people who have compulsive gambling habits.

The European Commission

Keep in mind that the plan by the European Commission is only a recommendation to member states. There is no guarantee that each European country will adopt this practice. However, if taken seriously, it could lead to many European countries looking at how compulsive gambling is affecting consumers and adding more rules to prevent this from happening. The European Commission hopes to suggest that member countries will ban gambling companies and casinos from sponsoring any event that involves minors. The Commission would also like more information on ads about the risks of losing money and how gambling can be addictive for some people.