|
UK
Casino Times
> Casino
News
25 June 2005
Cabbies Angry Over Poker
Ad
Norwich
taxi drivers today branded the city council petty after they
were banned from advertising a new gambling website on their
cabs.
New adverts promoting an
online
poker company will
not be displayed on hackney carriages in Norwich after
councillors refused to give the scheme the go
ahead.
The Ultimate Poker
adverts, which show surreal pictures of half-breed animals,
have been allowed in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester,
Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and
Dundee.
The contract could have
made Norwich cabbies £13,500 in advertising
revenue.
But Norwich City Council
banned the adverts which show the head of one animal on the
body of another animal with the words 'What kind of poker
animal are you?'
Adrian Ramsay, Green Party
councillor, said: "My main concern was whether or not it was
appropriate to advertise online gambling which is so
accessible to children. Gambling can become a very serious
addiction and it can ruin lives. We decided it was not
appropriate for the council to promote this sort of gambling
- especially because the internet is completely
unregulated."
Jennifer Lay, representing
Labour, said: "We were very concerned with the actual
images. We didn't think that kind of design was appropriate
for the city of Norwich - especially for
children."
But cab drivers are
furious that they will be losing out on yet more money
because of the authorities.
According to drivers, the
council has forced them to a point where many rely on
advertising to subsidise their losses from closed ranks in
Prince of Wales Road.
Cabbie Paul Jarrett, 44,
said: "These adverts aren't offensive. The people at the
council are so petty minded and backwards thinking. I don't
want to be told what I can and can't do with my cab. We pay
for our licences so I don't see why it is not up to the
drivers what they advertise. "Gambling on the internet or in
casinos is no different to playing the National Lottery and
that is advertised everywhere. We're
loosing money because the licences are getting more
expensive and they have closed our ranks. We need money from
advertising to make up for it. Other cities are using these
adverts on cabs so I don't see why we should be left behind
while everywhere else moves forwards. Times are changing and
we need to keep up. I don't know how they expect us to make
a living when they hold us back like this."
Trevor Ecclestone, 53, who
has been driving cabs in Norwich for 30 years, said: "It's
absolutely ridiculous. The designs are not offensive and if
people want to gamble, they're going to do it whatever. We
wouldn't be forcing people to gamble and you see adverts for
it everywhere else."
Taxi Media, the company
behind the adverts, said that the only other city to reject
the designs was Oxford.
If the council had
accepted the nine-month campaign, 20 drivers could have
benefited from around £75 a month.
Andy Willis, operations
manager at Taxi Media, said: "This decision is completely
stupid. The only reason that these adverts were rejected was
because of personal opinion - the adverts are perfectly
legal but unfortunately it is down to local authorities to
decide on.
"This ad campaign is
solely directed at taxis, but we also solicit adverts for
billboards so if the council rejects adverts in future, they
could in theory go up on billboards
regardless."
Mr Willis said that the
revenue from the lost ad campaign would now be going to
cabbies in Dundee.
Related pages:
None
Also see:
UK
Online Casinos
Reviews of the leading, approved UK online casinos. Includes
details of the free money welcome bonuses offered to new
players by the online casinos.
Online
Casinos Guide
New to online casinos? We take you through the process in a
friendly, easy-going way.
CasinoTimes.co.uk
is updated every day with the latest online casino and
gambling news.
Click
Here
to bookmark us and check us out daily!
Return
to UK Casino News index
|
