Celebrities seeming to promote gambling

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Ultimately people have to take responsibility for their own actions but I agree gambling adverts should not be glamourised and promoted by celebrities. In fact I’m always irritated to see Ant and Dec and other sports stars promoting Santander and probably being paid obscene amounts of money when they pay me zero interest!

duju
You are spot on!
They have banned cigarette adverts, only have alcohol adverts at special times like Christmas, yet gambling seems to have taken over our screens!
'Only £10' yeah, til it's not only £10 & suddenly you've overspent and can't pay your rent or mortgage!
'Stop when the fun stops' oh right, like these gamblers are going to just stop when the next shot could make them rich!
Unfortunately, I started to refuse to go out with my estranged husband as I was often sat alone in pubs, looking like a right plonker, while he and the fruit machines were having a relationship - "It's about to pay out, I can hear it....give me £1!"
Friends are constantly gambling on sports and are overjoyed when they win.
But how much have they put into the stupid machines or on the horses and football before they won? And how many times have they lost, or run out of money, before the wins?
Gambling shouldn't be advertised on tv, especially with celebrities pumping it up to be something great, or on Facebook/any social media as it soon gets way over their heads!!

I don’t like gambling being advertised on t.v. My Dad used to say it was a mugs game and always drummed into us as kids not to get involved.

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I agree with duju. Celebrities make quite enough money without promoting gambling. I recognize there are lots of people who enjoy a flutter from time to time - and why not! I have no problem at all with that. However I have often thought about those who promote gambling on tv and wondered if encourages those already addicted or first timers who are lonely or depressed to become addicted. I have mixed feelings and can see and understand the argument ' why should everyone else be deprived because if those who
are or may become addicted' on balance I think celebrities promoting gambling is not a sound idea.

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I completely agree with Marydoll

It’s a nasty sleazy business, I don’t think it should be advertised on TV.

I think all gambling adverts should be banned. I appreciate that the majority of people gamble responsibly but for those who have a problem with gambling it is irresponsible to say the least. Encouraging people with 'free' bets. My Dad drummed it into me never to waste money betting. He used to say he had never seen a poor bookie.

Reported

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I've never been interested in gambling but I know it's a serious addiction that can ruin lives. Opportunities to gamble are unlimited now with smart phones etc. It must make trying to stop even harder. I also think a lot of the adverts,especially those offering free games make it look fun and sociable with a small gamble aware warning. For some it will just be an occasional habit. Addicted gamblers will continue regardless. I do wonder how many people who would never have left there home to gamble are now experiencing problems.

Absolutely agree with all of you.
I don't know how Ray Winstone can sleep at night.
And do not get me started on Vorderman.
Some 'maths genius' - she got a third in engineering.
I didn't know about Ant & Dec - just how much money do they need?

You do wonder what goes through minds of these people when they decide that voicing or appearing in ads, any ads for that matter, is a good idea.
They are so greedy.
At the risk of sounding condescending, some people obviously seem to think that the celebs that they admire really do know something about the thing that they are advertising.
What about the celebs in the charity ads. Do they get paid?

Couldn’t agree more. So disappointed when I see people like Clive Owen and Ray Winstone, actors I’d previously quite liked, fronting these ads. They can’t need the money that desperately, surely?

I think the gaming industry is disgusting. Every time I log on to pages they come up offering me deals. Which is a huge problem for those tempted. Or in these days someone thinking they could make good with the tenner they offer.

I used to respect Harry Redknapp. Not now.

Ditto equity release which is another gamble.

Totaly agree Marydoll.

I don’t like celebrity endorsed advertising, particularly when any sort of finance is involved, rather than the direct purchase of an object. However what really grates on me Is when they associate themselves with the company by saying “We do ...this or that”. “Have been in business for xx years” They have probably never been near the company, just their agents, advertising agents etc. Worst of all is when they act in the commercial - step forward Carol Vodermann.

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I thought gambling was classed as an addiction.... not just a case of lack of self control.

I didn’t mention a ban.
As a pp said, let’s take the perceived glamour out of it & make it more factual.
I also appreciate the examples I named were never admired by some anyway.
I suppose one mans role model is another’s opinion to dismiss.
It is often the lonely & vulnerable people that could be at risk.
It probably would be untenable to ban it.... where would it stop? Even love & marriage can be an expensive, life devastating gamble. You only have to read some gransnet posts to see that.
I haven’t got an easy answer.
I just feel that allowing celebs and/or so called influential people to promote gambling & profit from it is uncomfortable for me at least.

Let people watch what they like, play what they like, drink what they like so long as they do it responsibly and dont break the law and what they do is legal.
Why object to advertising just because you do not like celebrities appearing in it, if people are that easily led then tough, why should they stop advertising to the majority just because the minority have no self control, because in the end that is what it boils down too.

I am not in favour of banning things, however, I do think any ads should be realistic.

The ones showing groups of people laughing whilst playing bingo - when in fact people are sitting alone at home, those funeral plans should actually have the actor speak the words that you may get back less than you pay in rather than written in small almost unreadable letters at the bottom of the ad. - I could go on!

The ads. may be legal but they are not honest

Agree absolutely, but then I also despise celebrities who promote the sort of insurance/funeral plans that are largely targeted at people with very few assets, or they wouldn’t need to be wondering who’s going to pay for their funeral in the first place.

I particularly used to loathe Michael Parkinson’s oh-so-cosy persuasiveness on one such ad.

I’m not vehemently against such ads - just at highly paid ‘celebs’ presumably getting paid a great deal for deliberately promoting such ‘products’ (all naturally designed to make money) to people with very little.