Britain's largest gambling firms will remove all TV and radio advertising for games and products during the coronavirus lockdown, the industry body said today.

Existing TV and radio advertising slots are

Britain's largest gambling firms will remove all TV and radio advertising for games and products during the coronavirus lockdown, the industry body said today.

Existing TV and radio advertising slots are now due to be replaced by safer gambling messages, donated to charities or removed from broadcast for at least six weeks. 

It comes a week after the Government wrote to gambling firms to ask them for regular updates on how they are tackling problem gambling during the lockdown. 

Britain's largest gambling firms will remove all TV and radio advertising for games (file image)

The Betting and Gaming Council said it has already seen a drop in advertising spend - and TV sport and casino advertisements falling by up to 10 per cent. 

The organisation said the measure also comes in the face of a drop in online revenue of up to 30 per cent and total member revenue down by up to 60 per cent.

The London-based BGC said that its members currently account for around 50 per cent of all gambling advertising on TV and radio. 

It also called on the other major TV and radio gambling operators such as the National Lottery, society lotteries and other bingo operators to drop their adverts.

The Betting and Gaming Council said it has seen a drop in advertising spend (file image)

The BGC said all operators will look to implement the change 'as rapidly as possible' but no later than May 7, the day on which the lockdown is due to be reviewed. 

'We are determined to do everything we can to protect customers': Full statement from betting industry body 

By Michael Dugher, chief executive of the Betting and Gambing Council

From day one of this crisis we have sought to protect customers potentially at risk, including announcing stepping up safer gambling measures as part of our ten pledges for covid-19 in March. This latest move by the regulated industry further underlines our commitment to safer betting and gaming with many people cut off and feeling anxious.

We have been working closely with our member companies since this crisis began to monitor the impact of betting and gaming. There hasn't been an explosion in people betting online as some had predicted – in fact, the opposite is true with total revenue down by up to 60 per cent. Overall gambling levels have also fallen significantly as a result of betting shops and casinos closing and the suspension of live sport. And whilst advertising levels on sports and casino are also down, again contrary to some assertions, we recognise that removing product advertising will act as a further safeguard during covid-19.

This major announcement by our members will result in the removal of half of all product advertising on TV and radio. I hope now that other major gambling operators like the National Lottery follow our lead.

Throughout this crisis, as the new standards body, the BGC has worked very closely with the Government. Ministers and the regulator all deserve credit for their steadfast and consistent determination to have an evidence-led approach and to rightly call for higher standards. There will always been alarmist noises from anti-gambling prohibitionists who just want to grab headlines, but it is this serious, constructive and evidence-led approach by the BGC's regulated members that has resulted in this further major change.

We are determined to do everything we can to protect customers potentially at risk during this lockdown period and beyond – and we are determined to drive the high standards that the public expect from us. I hope others follow our lead.

It will remain in force for six weeks and until at least June 5, with the organisation saying it will only be reviewed when lockdown restrictions are relaxed.

BGC chief Michael Dugher said: 'From day one of this crisis, we have sought to protect customers potentially at risk, including announcing stepping up safer gambling measures as part of our ten pledges for Covid-19 in March.

'This latest move by the regulated industry further underlines our commitment to safer betting and gaming, with many people cut off and feeling anxious.

'We are determined to do everything we can to protect customers potentially at risk during this lockdown period and beyond - and we are determined to drive the high standards that the public expect from us. I hope others follow our lead.' 

The BGC represents about 90 per cent of the UK betting and gaming industry excluding lotteries. 

It comes after the betting industry was accused of seeking to exploit people stuck at home who might be vulnerable.

Rank Group, which owns Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casinos, said its online games were booming, growing by a fifth this year, reflecting a jump in popularity of internet gambling also seen at rival firms including Ladbrokes, Coral and Paddy Power.

But MPs have raised concerns that vulnerable players are at greater risk of becoming addicted at present as they are encouraged to gamble on slot games due to the cancellation of live sport.

Gamblers playing on online slots are twice as likely to show signs of addiction, compared with those betting on sports online, according to the NHS Health Survey for England 2018.

Online marketing has become the most important part of gambling companies' advertising arsenal, but there are concerns that the ads target addicts trying to kick the habit, as well as children and young adults.

Last month a major study found that children are so relentlessly bombarded with betting advertising that gambling has become 'part of everyday life' for them.

To protect vulnerable players during the virus lockdown, the industry said it would increase safer gambling messages, promote deposit limits and intervene earlier if punters increased how much they spent.

Campaigners said the proposals were 'very weak', and demanded firms reduce the maximum stake to £2 per spin, in line with betting machines in shops.

In a letter to the Government, 25 MPs, peers and gambling addiction experts said: 'People are at home and are severely restricted, with access to mini-casinos on their laptops or mobile phones. We therefore have deep concerns about the pledges which have been proposed this week by the [industry].'

Earlier this month Paddy Power and Betfair said customers spent 15 per cent more on online games, including slots, since March 16, while Ladbrokes and Coral owner GVC had seen online gaming revenue rise by a fifth in the first three months of the year.

But on April 20, Culture Minister Nigel Huddleston wrote to gambling bosses asking them to go beyond the safer gambling pledges they have already made and provide up-to-date data to regulators.

He also demanded to know how a £100million fund for gambling treatment and research will be spent.