GVC CEO calls for curb on gambling marketing

GVC CEO Kenneth Alexander has joined Paddy Power Betfair and William Hill in asking the government to implement a pre-watershed ban on TV gambling adverts.

Alexander cited a poll which shows 75% of the British public are annoyed at the number of ads on show at the minute, arguing that it has got “out of hand”.

In addition, GVC also launched its new Community Programme, focusing on increasing funding to UK sports and social initiatives.

Launched at a parliamentary reception attended by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, GVC governance outlined the key objectives of its Community Programme, working alongside charity SportsAid.

Moving forward, the FTSE enterprise seeks to increase financial aid to aspiring athletes, grassroots sporting initiatives and further support community health and social funds.

Updating stakeholders, the firm established the following directives for its new Community Programme:

• A three-year partnership with SportsAid, which will deliver funding for 50 aspiring Olympians across the UK
• The establishment of an independent Community Fund, with £2 million of seed funding run and administered by the UK Community Foundation. This will deliver small-scale grants to local good causes who promote grassroots sports and tackle men’s health issues.
• This is in addition to the existing Ladbrokes Coral Trust, a successful pro-bono colleague volunteering scheme and funding for a number of responsible gambling charities including Gamble Aware and GamCare.