STUDENT SHOUT: How betting ads are manipulating the public

Michael Hellyer gives his take on betting adverts during sports matches

Betting commercials should be banned, in my opinion.

Gambling addiction is a huge problem in this country and it tears families apart.

If you’ve ever watched a football game on commercial television you would have been bombarded with betting adverts – from Coral to Paddy Power.

Whether it’s a £10 free bet or betting on in-play action, the public are being exploited by these companies forcing nasty and infuriating adverts down everyone’s throats.

In October the BBC reported that gambling adverts are promoted during 95 per cent of football matches, which does not surprise me as I watch a fair amount of sport.

It was found that one-in-five commercials across 25 matches, were betting adverts.

I’ve heard stories of people gambling since they were teenagers, throwing money away on predicting the future. It’s saddening to see so many stories of ordinary humans suffering from this habit.

Betting companies are abusing the high-risk, high-rewards mentality so they can bulk out their pockets and generate as much profit as possible.

The amount of lives they have destroyed through gambling is horrible to see.

I think only showing gambling adverts after 9pm won’t make much difference.

By abolishing betting adverts, there won’t be a trigger to remind people to bet on a specific event.

The hypocrisy of betting companies is that they tell their customers to ‘please bet responsibly’.

I don’t think putting that message at the bottom of the advert is going to persuade people to gamble responsibly.

I hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel, but I predict that this won’t be the case.