STOCKHOLM, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A majority of Swedes want to ban gambling advertising, according to a new survey from the Swedish Institute for Opinion Surveys (SIFO), Swedish Television News SVT reported on Tuesday.

Almost nine out of ten Swedes believe there is currently far too much gambling advertising, with a total of 70 percent of survey respondents saying that they were "positive towards" a ban on gambling advertisements.

"We will not tolerate it as it is now," minister for public administration Ardalan Shekarabi told SVT. "Marketing must be moderate and respect the protection of consumers."

On Jan. 1, Sweden introduced a new gambling act to re-regulate the industry. The act requires, among other things, that all gambling companies operating in Sweden be licensed, and that they must ensure gambling advertisements are restrained.

But despite the new legislation, a large majority of Swedes believe there is too much advertising today.

"I understand that there is a lot of frustration with gambling advertising. It is not possible to watch TV without being subjected to aggressive marketing," Shekarabi told SVT.

"We have just taken control of the gambling market after two decades of the 'Wild West' when Swedish law did not apply to all gambling companies. We will ensure that (the new gambling act) is adhered to and we do not exclude the need for further restrictions," said Shekarabi.

The issue of moderation in gambling marketing will be discussed on Thursday when the Swedish government meets the gambling industry in a previously announced meeting. Enditem

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