აზარტული თამაშების რეკლამა და მცირეწლოვანთა დაცვა საქართველოში

Abstract

Scientific research suggests that children and young people from 18 up to 24 are especially vulnerable to risky behaviour and gambling advertising substantially contributes to pathological gambling. ESPAD 2019 report states, that Georgia reaches highest number of young problem gamblers among 35 European countries - 12 % of school age adolescents. Law of Georgia on Broadcasting prohibits gambling ads during daytime from 1 September, 2020; but children still have very high exposure to gambling advertising, because gambling advertising is everywhere in all types of media , especially in daytime TV. No measures are implemented against the ads, which may have harmful influence on young people. Our analysis of Georgian TV ads texts shows that gambling is promoted as everyday fun and sport activity, ads create an unrealistic view of gambling, as they hide risk and promote illusion that everyone wins. Moreover, such ads are transmitted in air during child programs. Georgian Parliament passed law which aims gambling advertisement regulation from March 2022, article calls for more urgent regulation of gambling ads highly influential for young people.