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BBC Talkback discusses gambling marketing at Cheltenham [BBC Radio Ulster]
On Tuesday (11 March), Philip McGuigan MLA and Dr Paul Kitchin appeared on BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback to discuss gambling advertising tied to the Cheltenham horse racing festival this week. Philip McGuigan said it will be a "tense" week for those recovering from gambling addiction, adding that "gambling advice counsellors and services will tell you that in the aftermath of this week there will be a spike in contact with those addiction services." Dr Paul Kitchin, the co-author of a recent cross-border report on young people and their exposure to gambling marketing through sport, said that there needs to be a public health approach to gambling, which includes placing tighter restrictions on advertising. He noted that much of the messaging about the harms of gambling emphasises the idea of "responsible gambling" without communicating the actual risks. Philip McGuigan added that governments have taken a public health approach to tobacco and alcohol. They also discussed how gambling has changed with the introduction of online gambling, which gives people 24-hour access to gambling products.
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