The Guardian newspaper has recently announced that it has dropped its advertising deal with GoWager. The news comes as a response to readers concerns over the publication being associated with a gambling operator. The issue was brought to the Guardian’s attention when the results of the 2014 annual social audit. One of the questions asked ‘What type of advertising is unacceptable. The results were as follows:
- Financial institutions involved in unethical investment: 70%
- Companies who maintain highly damaging environmental practices: 66%
- Fashion brands that use unethical labour: 60%
- Music with offensive lyrics: 53%
- Gambling: 52%
- Advertising using sexual imagery: 52%
Many readers of the Guardian believe that the publication should not align itself with a gambling operator. Since GoWager was one of the Guardian’s first gambling advertisers, it opened up the potential for a slippery slope. With these concerns brought to the forefront, the publication decided that it would be best to pull advertising from the company.
A report from a Guardian News and Media spokesperson reads: “Following a review, we have decided to draw the GoWager partnership to a close. Guardian News and Media is always seeking new ways to innovate commercially, but we are also mindful of the views of our readers, some of which were outlined in a readers’ editor’s column about GoWager last year”.
Gambling advertising is a major issue in the Australian sports industry. Many responsible gambling advocates have spoken out against the amount of gambling ads that are displayed during sports broadcasts. A few changes have been made to limit when gambling ads are displayed, but some believe that more could be done to change the situation.
Many responsible gambling advocates want gambling advertising to be pulled completely, while sports clubs are reluctant to sever ties with gaming operators.
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