Gambling TV ads run afoul of Irish broadcasting codes

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) isn’t happy with the state of TV commercials in the country.  It recently reviewed a number of channels and concluded that ads for gambling operations, as well as for children’s toys, weren’t adhering to regulations it had established. The findings reiterated that the agency has found in previous years, but there’s little it can do to make changes.

On Wednesday, the Irish Examiner reported that several advertisements for betting services have ran afoul of BAI regulations. According to the agency, there were six instances of ads for betting services, for which the content was “deemed to promote gambling.”

Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and Lottoland.ie all produced commercials, as did PokerStars, which didn’t carry the requisite label designed to encourage responsible gambling or warn against the perils of gambling.

The gambling promotions were included in the BAI review, which also focused foreign channels that broadcast in Ireland as well as the content of TV spots that target children. The BAI has, in previous years, also brought up the issue about the lack of warnings on foreign-based channels. However, since it still doesn’t have jurisdiction over the broadcasters, its hands are tied to force a move. The BAI, established in 2009, is responsible for regulating all broadcasting, both radio and television, in Ireland, as well as participate in all media mergers in the country.