It’s 2013 and gambling advertising is now everywhere I look, COMPLETELY!!
Every time that I've opened my Facebook pages recently what has been the top post, you've guessed it, gambling! With the most recent bombardment coming from ‘Gala Casino’ but I've seen the same before from Paddy Power and Coral.
I'm not ‘friends’ with these companies on Facebook so why are they always appearing on my feed? And as someone personally that has had a gambling addiction and also researched into the workings of the mind, why are these ‘triggers’ being allowed to bombard people’s lives on their personal internet surfing?
But not just that no, even on several trains I've been on travelling into London I've seen Coral mobile phone betting advertised on boards. Then quite often I step off a train and there’s a betting shop either inside or right outside. (Liverpool Lime Street and London Victoria have betting shops on the station concourse and London Euston has a betting shop immediately outside of the station doors.)
Then when someone’s watching the telly I'm constantly hearing ‘gamble here’, ‘gamble there’.
I’v took a lot of flack from people about this campaign, from all sides of the social spectrum including both conservative type people and left wing liberals and a few people have stood up for the gambling industry saying that any attempt to stop what’s happening is a ‘breach of freedom’ or ‘fair trading’ and that we shouldn't be looking for the government to step in on this.
If only they’d seen the research then maybe they would see that it all seems to be helped to make happen from a specific part of the government itself, the department of culture, media and sport. They are the one’s saying there’s no stepping back with gambling advertising, and that gambling is a ‘popular family entertainment’. So I've had it with the government now and I say it’s time to take direct action and write to these companies.
I’ll be posting up some contacts and links soon but why not start with a letter to your local MP
Let’s get these companies to listen, and think about how gambling being everywhere causes rise in addiction, poverty, crime and social and community difficulties whilst the rich get richer and the poor rob each other.
Thanks for reading. From Ben at Neuroliberation campaign.
Here’s a template version….do as you wish with it :)
To whom it may concern,
I ..(enter name here) , am writing to you to make an official complaint about gambling advertising to the public within your services.
Gambling is now being advertised absolutely everywhere at the moment and despite claims from industry lobbyists, gambling addiction is on the rise and affecting millions of people.
With gambling advertising constantly being everywhere we turn including the internet, TV, newspapers, billboards, our phones and even on some trains , I am asking you to take this email to the appropriate department and seriously consider withdrawing from profiting from the promotion of online gambling and betting shops.
Gambling addiction is seriously affecting many families, businesses and communities including family breakdowns, frauds, thefts, robberies and mental health issues in millions of people.
As a customer I do not wish to be bombarded with gambling advertising whilst using your services. Please send this email to the appropriate department and please consider withdrawing from advertising gambling/betting companies.
Thanks for reading and best regards.
(insert name here)
