By Mark Kleinman, City Editor
The bosses of Britain's biggest bookmakers have urged the Government to extend advertising curbs across the industry as they seek to avoid "an unlevel playing field" with smaller rivals.
Sky News has learnt that executives from Coral, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill met Helen Grant, the Gambling Minister, on Wednesday to discuss recent progress on responsible gambling initiatives.
Sources close to the talks said that at least one of the companies had asked Ms Grant to examine whether measures adopted by those attending the meeting should in future encompass the rest of the sector.
As part of a series of voluntary restrictions announced last year, the four biggest bookmakers no longer run incentive-based advertisements before a 9pm watershed.
These ads involve the promotion of free bets or free money, and have become increasingly widespread in recent years as the industry has staged a land-grab for customers' loyalty.
Last autumn, the four biggest bookmakers formed an industry watchdog called the Senet Group to scrutinise their behaviour.
It is now headed by an independent chairwoman, Wanda Goldwag, a former marketing executive.
Among the restrictions to which the companies have signed up are abandoning the promotion of gaming machines in shop windows and devoting space to responsible gambling warnings.
An advertising campaign funded by the industry uses the tagline: 'When the fun stops, stop.'
Insiders said that Ms Grant appeared sympathetic to the idea that the voluntary restrictions should cover a wider range of gambling activities.
An ongoing review of industry advertising regulation is due to conclude in the coming weeks, and sources believe it will recommend that smaller companies such as Victor Chandler and Bet365 should also be subject to the same constraints as the big four.
Last year, Sky News revealed that Ladbrokes would become the first of the major bookmakers to tie executives' remuneration to the success of its efforts to address problem gambling.
Like those of rival William Hill, Ladbrokes' shares have fallen sharply since an escalation of political attacks on the industry, with the leaders of the main political parties vowing crackdowns on the industry prior to the Senet Group's establishment.
Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, has argued that betting shops have been turned into "mini-casinos" because of the proliferation of gaming machines, and has promised legislation to give local authorities powers to restrict the number of Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs).
In total, FOBTs generate annual revenues of more than £1.5bn, prompting David Cameron to pledge that he would "get to grips" with the issue.
One source said the meeting with Ms Grant had been "very positive", although the companies declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said it did not discuss private meetings.
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