Arcom (ex-CSA) has extended to streaming and replay platforms the rules governing audiovisual advertising for sports betting and other gambling, according to a deliberation published Sunday in the Official Journal, two weeks before the World Cup. . Protection of minors, fight against addiction… Dated October 19, the text updates a 2013 deliberation to take account of the action plan unveiled in February by the National Gaming Authority (ANJ, ex-Arjel).
It “is also intended to apply to on-demand audiovisual media services”, it is written. The provisions relating to these platforms “will come into force following” a notification procedure with the European Commission. In concrete terms, the conditions for the dissemination of communications (advertising messages, sponsorships, product placements) related to gambling and games of chance remain the same.
Protect the youngest from gambling
These ads are notably prohibited on TVs, radios and platforms intended for minors. On channels and antennas for the general public, they are prohibited for thirty minutes before and after the broadcast of programs intended for the youngest. Regarding platforms “not specifically aimed at minors but comprising a space dedicated to them, the ban (…) applies to all of this space”.
The publication of the text, two weeks before the World Cup in Qatar (November 20-December 18), is part of the responses to “the intensification of advertising communication in favor of sports betting operators”, noted “in particular at the occasion of major sports competitions”, according to Arcom.
In February, the ANJ was concerned about the impact of hype on minors, after surveying 5,000 young people aged 15 to 17, who said they were “overwhelmed” by sponsored spots and content from most operators. of online games, citing in particular Winamax, la Française des jeux and Betclic. According to this survey, commissioned by the ANJ from the Sedap association (Society for mutual aid and psychological action), more than a third of 15-17 year olds play gambling. In the event of deviations in advertising practices, Arcom “reserves the possibility of imposing in a subsequent deliberation precise rules governing the volume and concentration of these commercial communications”, she recalls.