[perthpundit]

Just seen the news that Edinburgh Council voted 42-16 yesterday to ban all gambling advertising on Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams from April 1st 2024. This includes everything from casino promos to betting shop adverts to bingo hall sponsorships.

The motion was brought forward by Councillor Jane Meagher citing concerns about problem gambling exposure, particularly around schools and residential areas. Apparently they've been planning this since the consultation period ended in September.

What's interesting is the timing - this comes just as other Scottish councils are watching to see if similar bans will follow. Glasgow's been discussing it for months but hasn't voted yet.

Anyone know if this affects digital screens at tram stops as well, or just the vehicle wraps and interior panels? The wording in the Herald article wasn't completely clear on that distinction.

[inverness ian]

About bloody time. These adverts are everywhere you look in Edinburgh - plastered across every bus route that goes past primary schools. The 16 councillors who voted against this clearly haven't walked down Princes Street recently.

Though let's be honest, this is mostly performative. Kids aren't getting their gambling habits from bus adverts - they're getting them from YouTube streamers and Twitch. But at least it's a start.

[glasgowgambler]

This is just virtue signalling that won't change anything meaningful. The real issue is how operators like Kingdom Casino are targeting Scottish players through social media and affiliate marketing - not some bus wrap that most people ignore anyway.

Edinburgh Council should focus on the digital advertising landscape where the actual problem lies. These operators spend millions on targeted Facebook ads and influencer partnerships that reach problem gamblers directly. A bus advert ban is like putting a plaster on a broken leg.

Plus, this just pushes more advertising spend towards online channels where there's even less oversight. The unintended consequences here could actually make the problem worse for vulnerable players.

[edinburghexpert]

The economic impact analysis is what interests me here. Lothian Buses generates approximately £2.8 million annually from advertising revenue across their 700-vehicle fleet, with gambling operators typically paying premium rates of £3,500-4,200 per month for full bus wraps compared to £1,800-2,400 for other sectors.

Gambling adverts represent roughly 18-22% of their total advertising income based on the routes I've tracked over the past year. That's potentially £500,000+ in lost revenue that will need to be replaced or absorbed through fare increases.

The interesting mathematical question is whether this creates a market opportunity for other advertising categories to increase their spend, or if it simply reduces the overall advertising inventory value. Non-gambling sectors rarely match the premium rates that betting operators pay.

From a behavioural economics perspective, the research on advertising exposure and gambling initiation is mixed. The 2019 Wardle study suggested transport advertising has lower conversion rates than digital channels, but higher brand recognition scores among 16-24 demographics. The council's impact assessment should have included these metrics.

I'd be curious to see if Goldenbet and other operators will shift their Edinburgh marketing budgets towards digital billboard networks around the city centre instead. The advertising spend doesn't disappear - it just moves to different channels with potentially higher targeting capabilities.

[stirlingspinner]

Was on the number 25 to Leith last week and counted seven different gambling adverts between Princes Street and Ocean Terminal. Everything from Paddy Power to some online casino I'd never heard of. My 8-year-old nephew was asking what they all meant.

Honestly, it's gotten ridiculous how normalised it's become. Remember when cigarette adverts got banned from buses? Same principle applies here. The difference is kids can't legally buy cigarettes but they can download casino apps the moment they turn 18.

[aberdeenasker]

Does anyone know if this affects the digital advertising boards at Waverley Station as well? I'm confused about what counts as 'public transport advertising' versus general outdoor advertising. The article mentioned buses and trams specifically but not train stations.

[dundeedealer]

From what I've seen working in the industry, this type of blanket ban usually backfires within 12-18 months. The operators just redirect that advertising spend towards more targeted digital campaigns that are actually more effective at reaching problem gamblers.

Transport advertising is expensive but relatively inefficient - it's mostly about brand awareness rather than conversion. The real money gets spent on Google Ads, Facebook targeting, and affiliate partnerships where they can track exactly which demographics are clicking through and depositing.

Edinburgh's ban might actually help the operators optimise their marketing spend towards higher-converting channels. It's not like they're going to spend less on advertising - they'll just spend it more strategically. The council thinks they're solving a problem but they might be making it worse for the people they're trying to protect.