The Guardian pulls the plug on gambling ads

The Guardian Media Group has been one of the most vociferous critics of gambling laws and problem gambling in the United Kingdom, and well around the world. Now, the media group, which owns The Guardian, one of the most-read newspapers in the country, has announced that it is banning all forms of gambling ads moving forward.

The measure applies to all of its publications and will exclude only lottery ads. The new policy was announced on Wednesday, and it has an immediate effect, with The Guardian suspending any remaining gambling ads from its apps, websites, newsletter, audio, and video content.

This decision comes at a time of increasing difficulty for media businesses in general, and at a time when many other publications and newspapers are actually opening up to the idea of publishing and promoting advertising content.

Many respected daily editions now feature not just ads, but entire articles dedicated to "the best gambling websites," which advise readers what casinos or sportsbooks to choose but are clearly advertising pieces with potentially serious consequences.

Commenting on this decision, Guardian Media Group CEO Anna Bateson said that the group had reached this decision after looking into gambling and understanding how it could lead to an "addictive cycle" for gamblers, and cause them mental, financial, and social distress. Bateson said:

"Guardian journalists have reported on the devastating impact of the gambling industry in the UK and Australia, helping to shift the dial and ensure the issue remains high on the public agenda."

The Guardian has been writing extensively on the issue, assailing various companies around the world, and launching hard-hitting investigations often discovering less-than-ethical practices by companies. Bateson said that there have been numerous studies demonstrating the causality and link between exposure to gambling advertising and addictive behavior.

She added that the media’s responsibility was ultimately to do right by its readers, and this means the ban of all forms of gambling ads. The ban extends to online casinos, scratchcards, and sports betting, but will exempt lottery promos. All TheGuardian, Observer, and The Guardian Weekly have shed their gambling ads across all of their channels.

The Guardian’s stance on gambling coincides with a previous position in 2020 when the publication decided to ban on advertisements from fossil fuel companies. The Guardian has said that it did not want to participate in a process in which gambling companies spend "enormous sums" to attract new customers, and criticized the fact that many media outlets are becoming more and more reliant on money from betting companies.

"We are able to make these types of decisions due to our independent ownership structure, balancing purpose and profit," Bateson added, confident that the media group was moving in the right direction.

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