5 ms·

Went to the UK for a visit few years ago and the amount of gambling/betting adverts in public places in the UK was flabbergasting. The fact that every ad featur

Went to the UK for a visit few years ago and the amount of gambling/betting adverts in public places in the UK was flabbergasting. The fact that every ad featured a macho dude with a buzz cut half-threateningly peddling his betting venue of choice didn't help much either. "Like an addict to addict, here's the brand I prefer" type of thing. This left a really bizarre and lasting impression for some reason.

doublerabbit 3y ago
Our anti-gambling slogan is: when the fun stops, stop. If you're addicted there is no fun. And to stop, you can't stop. Kind of an ridiculous slogan don't you think?
- CaptainZapp 3y ago
  Well, it's like the booze industry's Drink Responsibly shtick. They don't really have an interest for their best customers to drink responsibly. Same as the gambling industry is not interested that their best clients stop. Regardless if the fun stopped or not.
  - lost_tourist 3y ago
    Which actually works for me, I go weeks without having so much as a hard cider. However I don't think slick slogans work with addicts.
pjc50 3y ago
This is one of the negative legacies of the Blair era, the expansion of gambling. On behalf of party donors. (They nearly got away with taking a bribe from Ecclestone to liberalize cigarette advertising, but people spotted that)
secondcoming 3y ago
Yes, it's extremely popular here. The US has a similar 'WTF' when it comes to pharmaceutical ads.
- okamiueru 3y ago
  Not to mention political ads. It's the most dystopian wtf moment I've experienced in my life. Dramatic music, documentary-like-voice as if about how someone will murder everyone you know, and the whole point is "don't vote for this person based on the feelings I just made you feel".
  - JohnClark1337 3y ago
    [dead]
  - comfypotato 3y ago
    Pharmaceutical ads are much more dystopian I think. Politically influencing people through advertisements regarding who to vote for is plenty democratic and civilized. Those ads are actually very well curtailed by slander and libel laws. Any/everything said about another candidate is almost definitely true, albeit sensationalized.
    - okamiueru 3y ago
      I wont argue at what takes the dystopian price. However, I did not find those types of advertisements democratic or civilized. In fact, I would argue that the type of advertisement almost fits the definition of terrorism. A veiled threat of violence for political gain. Just not the straight up obvious kind of violence. Just legal, and common place in the US. Absolutely horrifying for someone visiting during a primary/general election. And, whether or not something is covered by slander and libel laws is absolutely meaningless. You can convey the same emotional message without actually making statements, if what you want is just to scare people. "Do you reaaally want to find out if your kids will be safe to walk home from school if X is elected for office? Imagine the phone call you receive from the police department when they ask you to identify the body. Don't wait for that phone call. Vote for Y, tough on crime...." No statements here, no slander. Just a perversion of a democratic process.
      - comfypotato 3y ago
zahma 3y ago
It is like that in France too, and it’s especially disturbing since it’s aimed at young people.
pornel 3y ago
It's not just ads, it's the "high street" where everything went bankrupt, except gambling and vape shops.
- Veen 3y ago
  And the money laundering places.
andyjohnson0 3y ago
It wasn't always like this. Until 2005 betting and gambling was heavily regulated, advertising was basically prohibited (even in bookmakers windows), and the types of gambling that could occur at betting shops and racegrounds was fairly limited. Then the whole industry was deregulated by the 2005 Gambling Act, and some extremely predatory companies moved in to exploit the new space. The 2008 GFC resulted in a lot of high street shops suddenly becoming empty, particularly in socio-economically poorer areas, and many were converted into betting shops. I understand it used to be the case that banks and bookmakers premises had the same planning designation and so, as banks unloaded their high street premises, they could be converted to betting shops without requiring planning permission. The present UK government doesn't seem interested in effective regulation, and the legal review they announced in 2021 appears to be stalled. Meanwhile the industry continues to create endless misery.
- lost_tourist 3y ago
  Is there a bit of a plague of gambling addicts? I kind of see it here in the US with sports gambling and people buying hundreds of dollars in lotto tickets. Not quite epidemic proportions but it is bad, especially with men.

doublerabbit 3y ago

Our anti-gambling slogan is: when the fun stops, stop. If you're addicted there is no fun. And to stop, you can't stop. Kind of an ridiculous slogan don't you think?

CaptainZapp 3y ago
Well, it's like the booze industry's Drink Responsibly shtick. They don't really have an interest for their best customers to drink responsibly. Same as the gambling industry is not interested that their best clients stop. Regardless if the fun stopped or not.
- lost_tourist 3y ago
  Which actually works for me, I go weeks without having so much as a hard cider. However I don't think slick slogans work with addicts.

pjc50 3y ago

This is one of the negative legacies of the Blair era, the expansion of gambling. On behalf of party donors. (They nearly got away with taking a bribe from Ecclestone to liberalize cigarette advertising, but people spotted that)

secondcoming 3y ago

Yes, it's extremely popular here. The US has a similar 'WTF' when it comes to pharmaceutical ads.

okamiueru 3y ago
Not to mention political ads. It's the most dystopian wtf moment I've experienced in my life. Dramatic music, documentary-like-voice as if about how someone will murder everyone you know, and the whole point is "don't vote for this person based on the feelings I just made you feel".
- JohnClark1337 3y ago
  [dead]
- comfypotato 3y ago
  Pharmaceutical ads are much more dystopian I think. Politically influencing people through advertisements regarding who to vote for is plenty democratic and civilized. Those ads are actually very well curtailed by slander and libel laws. Any/everything said about another candidate is almost definitely true, albeit sensationalized.
  - okamiueru 3y ago
    I wont argue at what takes the dystopian price. However, I did not find those types of advertisements democratic or civilized. In fact, I would argue that the type of advertisement almost fits the definition of terrorism. A veiled threat of violence for political gain. Just not the straight up obvious kind of violence. Just legal, and common place in the US. Absolutely horrifying for someone visiting during a primary/general election. And, whether or not something is covered by slander and libel laws is absolutely meaningless. You can convey the same emotional message without actually making statements, if what you want is just to scare people. "Do you reaaally want to find out if your kids will be safe to walk home from school if X is elected for office? Imagine the phone call you receive from the police department when they ask you to identify the body. Don't wait for that phone call. Vote for Y, tough on crime...." No statements here, no slander. Just a perversion of a democratic process.
    - comfypotato 3y ago

zahma 3y ago

It is like that in France too, and it’s especially disturbing since it’s aimed at young people.

pornel 3y ago

It's not just ads, it's the "high street" where everything went bankrupt, except gambling and vape shops.

Veen 3y ago
And the money laundering places.

andyjohnson0 3y ago

It wasn't always like this. Until 2005 betting and gambling was heavily regulated, advertising was basically prohibited (even in bookmakers windows), and the types of gambling that could occur at betting shops and racegrounds was fairly limited. Then the whole industry was deregulated by the 2005 Gambling Act, and some extremely predatory companies moved in to exploit the new space. The 2008 GFC resulted in a lot of high street shops suddenly becoming empty, particularly in socio-economically poorer areas, and many were converted into betting shops. I understand it used to be the case that banks and bookmakers premises had the same planning designation and so, as banks unloaded their high street premises, they could be converted to betting shops without requiring planning permission. The present UK government doesn't seem interested in effective regulation, and the legal review they announced in 2021 appears to be stalled. Meanwhile the industry continues to create endless misery.

lost_tourist 3y ago
Is there a bit of a plague of gambling addicts? I kind of see it here in the US with sports gambling and people buying hundreds of dollars in lotto tickets. Not quite epidemic proportions but it is bad, especially with men.