New Zealand’s Advertising Standards Authority publish new Gambling Advertising Code for Advertising Gaming and Gambling.
New Zealand’s Advertising Standards Authority has published a new Gambling Advertising Code for Advertising Gaming and Gambling.
In common with the trends in Europe and Australia, the code focuses especially on the protection of children, young people and other vulnerable persons, and applies to all gambling advertisements for both “pay to gamble” and “free to gamble” activities, products and outlets, including betting on racing and other sporting events.
The ASA Codes Committee, which developed the new code in consultation with industry and public sectors, included representatives from advertisers, agencies, media and the public. It was thanked by Hon. Heather Roy, the ASA Chair, for its work, who also acknowledged the range of organisations that provided valuable feedback.
Hilary Souter, ASA Chief Executive, said:
“Reviewing and updating the Codes is an important part of the ASA’s work and it is great to have the new Gambling Advertising Code in place to support responsible advertising to consumers.”
A PDF of the code is available here.
AYO.NEWS says:
With New Zealand’s ASA being so closely modelling on the UK’s ASA, its no surprise to see they very much emphasise that specific rules don’t need to be broken for advertisers to nevertheless be in breach of the ‘spirit’ of the code, stating:
“Social responsibility in advertising is embodied in the Principles and Rules of the Code. In interpreting the Code, emphasis must be placed on compliance with both the spirit and intention of the Code. It is possible for advertising to be in breach of one or more of the Principles in the Code without being in breach of a specific Rule.”
Though this ‘spirit’ based approach is all very well and good in theory, such ambiguity does nevertheless – as repeatedly proven in the UK – give the potential for considerable confusion.
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