Lights, Camaras and Online Casino Action

Aspers Casino, mainly popular in the Newcastle area, made history over the weekend after becoming the first ever gambling company to have broadcast a TV advert following the introduction of the new gambling legislation at the beginning of this month.

During the first commercial break the advert was aired, after the 9pm watershed on Saturday.

Despite the fact that gaming companies are now allowed to advertise on the TV subject to certain restrictions, it only aired on ITV Wales and in the Tyne Tees region.

Clive Hawkswood, Remote Gambling Association chief executive explained: "Many of the big companies are holding off until later on in the year. I won't be surprised if it's all a bit of a damp squib in early September.

"I'm sure that, for online casinos, there will be activity, but much of what one sees as sponsorship will be transferred to advertising and it will be interesting to see whether the man in the street notices much difference."

The constant reconsidering and rewriting of gambling advertising rules seems to have put companies off for the meantime.

However, experts at Marketing Week are predicting that a "flurry of activity" will be coming in the next Rugby World Cup, although only sports betting adverts are allowed during sporting events starting before the watershed.

Until they see how successful the policy is for competitors, many online gaming companies eligible to advertise may hold back on spending huge amounts of money on television ads; some will wait until nearer the Christmas period when disposable income is at its highest.

Though that advertising on the small screen may transform certain sites and so British based companies, experts predict would do well not to get left behind.