Saturday, March 17, 2007

The Evangelical Alliance, representing more than a million evangelicals in
the UK, has spoken out against the consistency of the government's stance in
key issues currently being debated in the UK. "New liberalised gambling
advertising rules fly in the face of the Government's position on cigarette
advertising and the debate around advertising unhealthy food to children",
the Evangelical Alliance has said in a press release this week. The alliance
continued: "The relaxed rules.will allow the first TV and radio commercials
for gambling facilities from September." The new rules were revealed on the
same day that religious groups - including the Alliance - held a meeting
with the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, a charity which exists to tackle
problem gambling in Britain through the funding of treatment, research and
education programmes. Jennifer Hogg, an Evangelical Alliance volunteer
advisor on gambling issues and mother of two said: "I find it extraordinary
that on the same day we met with the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, these
new gambling advertising rules were published. "While we were discussing
distributing RIGT's excellent Government-backed education resources on
gambling to youth organisations, rules were being published that will allow
families to be bombarded with gambling advertising on TV and on public
transport." The Evangelical Alliance believes that legalising gambling
advertising, combined with the explosion in online gambling, will
drastically increase the availability and attractiveness of gambling. It
agrees with Professor Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University, who has
stated that gambling advertising should have heath warnings and that the
national lottery proves that advertising stimulates demand. Gareth Wallace,
Westminster Parliamentary Officer for the Evangelical Alliance, said: "This
smacks of a lack of joined up government. It also features marked double
standards, since the Government is keen to ban all tobacco advertising. But
gambling could be just as damaging to the nation's health. "The consequences
of problem gambling are well documented in respect of personal and family
costs. "There can be no 'socially responsible' advertising of gambling,
which can be highly addictive. Children will be able to view gambling
advertisements on TV and in public spaces."