BGC Commends Facebook’s Gambling Ad Opt-Out Feature for Marketing-Affiliates

The British Gambling Commission (BGC) has collaborated with Facebook over the past year to introduce additional opt-out tools. This is a step towards implementing more socially responsible advertising practices in the future. In July, the BGC expressed support for Snapchat for implementing a similar feature for gambling advertisements. Following in Snapchat’s footsteps, Facebook now adheres to the standards set by the updated Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising released in 2020. The objective of this code is to minimize gambling ads exposure among individuals under the age of 18. It requires all BGC members to target their advertisements towards consumers aged 25 and above, unless they have evidence that it is specifically tailored for those over 18. BGC chief executive, Michael Dugher, emphasizes that Facebook’s compliance with these guidelines is a positive indication of their commitment to raising industry standards. Dugher also urges other social media and search platforms to incorporate opt-out tools for users to avoid viewing betting advertisements. Yesterday (November 18), Dugher lauded Safer Gambling Week 2021 as a “huge success,” citing a 19% increase in social media impressions compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 25 million impressions.