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House of Lords committee urges near-total ban on gambling ads in the UK
A cross-party group of peers said a tobacco-style advertising ban would be the most effective way to curb gambling-related harm. The proposal drew sharp opposition from the bookmakers and casinos lobby.
A House of Lords liaison committee has urged the British government to introduce a ban on almost all gambling advertising as a public health measure. In its 173-page report, the committee said ministers had been too passive in the face of a surge in digital marketing and the use of social media influencers to promote gambling.
The report says a tobacco-style blanket ban, with exemptions for the lottery and racecourses, would be the most effective way to reduce harms including financial ruin, relationship breakdown and even suicide. It also acknowledges that such a move would likely shrink the gambling sector, while arguing that it could bring longer-term economic benefits by redirecting spending into other parts of the economy.
According to official statistics cited by The Guardian, bookmakers, slot machine venues and casinos took in £12.6bn from customers in Great Britain last year, while up to 1.4 million people have a gambling problem.
The report also revisits the framework created by the 2005 Gambling Act under Tony Blair’s government, which liberalised gambling advertising. Before that law, only bingo, football pools and lotteries, including the National Lottery, were allowed to advertise on television. Since then, gambling advertising has expanded sharply, with annual industry spending reaching an estimated £2bn in 2024, according to The Guardian.
The proposal was strongly rejected by the Betting & Gaming Council, the sector’s lobby group, which called it misguided and argued that it could worsen harm by benefiting the illicit market, which would still be able to advertise. Its chief executive, Grainne Hurst, said a blanket ban would remove a major competitive advantage for licensed and regulated operators without stopping illegal businesses from targeting British consumers.
Lord Foster, one of the report’s authors, said the illicit market was a legitimate concern but argued that it should not distract from the harm created by the legal market. According to The Guardian, he also pointed to ongoing regulatory efforts to crack down on rogue websites.
The Betting & Gaming Council also highlighted voluntary steps already taken by the industry, including the so-called whistle-to-whistle ban on advertising during televised sports fixtures. The trade body further estimated that half of current gambling ad spending now comes from a fast-growing illicit market that is not subject to the same controls as licensed operators.
The Guardian also noted that Andy Burnham has been one of the most outspoken critics of the gambling industry and recently moved to give councils more power to block new betting shops and slot machine venues on high streets. As mayor of Greater Manchester, he has also said he wants gambling sponsorship in sport consigned to the past.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
