The Church of England General Synod will debate a motion later this month calling for the Government to rein in the spread of gambling advertising to protect children.
The motion was brought by the Bishop of St Albans Alan Smith who said legislation was needed to combat the quantity of gambling adverts.
But Dr Smith said action was also needed to stop football players having gambling logos on their strips and betting adverts on pitch-side hoarding.
When asked if he would like to see a ban on gambling adverts on football shirts, Dr Smith said: “I think that would be a really good idea.
“My personal view is we need to get far, far more radical. You simply cannot live in this country without being confronted endlessly.
“I know families who will not let their children watch football matches on TV because they feel their children are being groomed into gambling.”
Dr Smith told reporters about a young boy who had branded the football shirt his parents gave him for Christmas not a “proper one” because it did not have betting logo on it.
Dr Smith added: “That was a real wake up call for me.
“A whole generation of young people have taken on a range of views and attitudes about the norm of gambling.
“We have changed the enjoyment of sport from sport in itself to something that’s to do with money and betting.
“Our worry is we are as a nation sleepwalking into something by…
… Read More
—
Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.