New U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is reportedly reviewing plans to allow betting shops and gambling Web sites to advertise on television and radio.
The U.K. Gambling Act 2005, which comes into effect in September, is set to liberalize advertising restrictions to allow gambling companies to run advertisements on all forms of media, not just non-broadcast.
The new rules came with strict guidelines. For instance, gambling advertisements may not feature or depict children, or be broadcast during programs directed at children. But that may be moot if Brown reverses the legislation to once again ban gambling advertisements from broadcast media.
James Purnell, the new culture secretary, said the review comes in response to concerns over increased problem gambling. He added that there was no time frame for the review and it would "take as long as it takes."
The announcement comes just days after Brown said he was reconsidering plans to build a Las Vegas-style super casino as a source of urban regeneration. He plans to wait for the results of a problem gambling study, to be published in the fall, before moving forward with the 16 smaller casinos across the country.
"In September, we will have a report that will look at gambling in our country, and at the incidence and prevalence of it and its social effects," Brown said. "I hope that during these summer months, we can look at whether regeneration in the areas for the super-casinos may be a better way of meeting their economic and social needs."