Brits are going to be glued to their television sets from 11 June to 11 July 2021 as the 2020 UEFA Euro football tournament will take place with matches being held on a daily basis.
England is one of the betting favorites to win the tournament and their fans will keep a close watch on all of their matches during the tournament.
Sports betting operators in the UK tend to amp up their advertising spending during major football tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro championships.
These top sporting events cause a massive spike in sports betting numbers and revenues. The 2018 FIFA World Cup saw over £2 billion wagered in the UK during the tournament.
Multiple MPs and anti-gambling organizations have been putting pressure on broadcasters to ban gambling ads during Euro 2020. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the UK Government have been trying very hard in recent years to reduce the number of problem gamblers in the country.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm (APPG GRH) voiced their concerns stating that it was going to be impossible for viewers including children to watch Euro 2020 without being exposed to gambling ads on a daily basis. MP Ronnie Cowan and Gambling With Lives charity have been some of the names that have backed the push to ban all gambling ads during Euro 2020.
ITV Will Reduce Ads
The constant pressure being imposed on broadcasters forced ITV to release a statement. The British broadcaster said that while it will not institute a blanket ban on gambling ads during Euro 2020, it will significantly reduce the number of gambling ads shown on its broadcast. ITV was responsible for 172 gambling related ads during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
ITV said in its statement that it will not air so many ads when compared to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The broadcaster also referred to the current 8 pm to 8 am whistle to whistle ban in the UK and said the games at Euro 2020 that start at 8 pm will not have any gambling ads till 9 pm. After 9 pm, gambling ads will be shown but ITV will limit the number of ads.
Some of the other top broadcasters like BT Sport, Sky Sports and TalkSPORT have yet to release a statement regarding gambling ads and Euro 2020 coverage.