Serbia’s Greens, the “Zeleno-Left Front” (ZLF), have called for stricter restrictions on gambling advertisements.
During a forum organized by the political party, ZLF members criticized a proposed government bill to limit the scope of gambling promotions.
ZLF MP Marina Mijatović said that the proposal to amend the Law on Games of Chance will not be enough to protect vulnerable groups, especially children.
“Games of chance cannot be abolished, but all those advertisements do not need to be flashy and attract so much attention,” she said. “ZLF also advocates that gambling establishments must not attract attention and provoke people, especially those struggling with addiction.”
Mijatović added that ZLF has been advocating for stricter regulations around advertising for a long time, and that the forum serves as a podium to remind the government of that.
In a separate interview for media agency Beta, ZLF member and Member of the National Assembly Biljana Đorđević commented that while the proposed government bill is a somewhat “rigid” solution compared to not taking any action at all, its scope is not enough.
Đorđević noted that if sports clubs continue to be financially backed by gambling companies, it will bring unwanted consequences for the younger demographic who watches sports.
One example of the prominence of gambling brands in Serbian sports comes from football, where Flutter’s subsidiary MaxBet currently holds major sponsorship deals with two of the country’s biggest football clubs – FK Partizan Belgrade and Vojvodina FC.
Therefore, rather than just prohibiting actors and singers from participating in gambling promotions – as the government bill’s text currently envisions, the Greens also want athletes added to the equation.
Đorđević echoed Mijatović’s words, stating that ZLF submitted their proposal in March, but no one from the SNS-led coalition government invited them for further discussions.
“They have now submitted the law on games of chance, but not on advertising. We fear that the law on advertising is the most contentious issue and that is the reason why it is not there,” she added.
She also criticized Tomislav Momirović, Serbia’s Minister of Internal and External Trade, for not playing a more active role in the debates around advertising.
However, Momirović has commented on the issue before, stating that the proposed bill is specifically aimed at protecting young people, and that the Serbian government will look into additional measures to ban gambling adverts on billboards so that their visibility in public can be minimized.
Overall, ZLF’s members closed off the forum by stating that they are ready to support the government’s proposals in the name of making the first step towards the reduction of gambling in Serbia.
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