(Sharecast News) - Ladbrokes' owner, GVC has made a bold move in the gambling industry, cancelling its ads on TV and sponsorship on football shirts to protect problem gamblers.The company announced on Thursday a series of proposals that GVC's boss Kenny Alexander urged the rest of the industry to follow as they would "protect the more vulnerable".The only ads that will continue are those for horse racing but in any case the proposals would go further than the current "whistle-to-whistle" ban on gambling advertising during sporting events.The company said this would "allow fans to watch their favourite teams without seeing any incentives to bet" and called on football governing bodies and the gambling industry to do the same.Alexander said: "While the vast majority of our customers enjoy our products responsibly, it is high time that the industry did more to protect its customers from potential harm."As the UK's largest gambling company, and owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, we at GVC are doing exactly that. I call on our industry peers to help us bring about an end to broadcast advertising which promotes sports betting in the UK no matter the time of day."Ladbrokes also said it would start an independent trust to fund treatment for gambling addicts. Alexander said: "Increasing investment in research, education and treatment tenfold by 2022, funding treatment centres and using technology to intervene before a problem develops, alongside our existing behavioural analytics, brings to life our commitment to be the most trusted and enjoyable betting operator in the world."The industry should and can do more to protect the vulnerable, and today's announcement demonstrates GVC's commitment to delivering on that."