Televised football and betting adverts have gone hand in glove for many years, but that might be about to change.
The Danish government gambling franchise Danske Spil is suggesting a ban on betting ads during direct sports transmissions in connection with a new code of ethics, reports DR Nyheder.
All bets are off
The UK took similar steps last year.
“We feel it has come to a point when it is useful to discuss whether we ought to let viewers watch the game in peace and come across with our commercial message in another context,” Danske Spil’s CEO Niels Folmann told Jyllands-Posten.
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Cynics might think they are bowing to the inevitable as there is also political backing for the measure.
SF, Dansk Folkeparti and Radikale have all signalled their willingness to propose a law that includes a ban if the gambling industry is not willing to introduce one itself.
Hold your horses
Predictably, perhaps, there are dissenting voices. The press officer of betting company Unibet, which also offers live betting in Denmark, thinks the move is premature.
“We’re willing to consider it, but shouldn’t we wait and see how things turn out in England?” he told Jyllands-Posten.
The ethics code for the gambling industry is due to be ready by the spring.
