A group of lawmakers from different political parties in the UK House of Lords has called for a near-total ban on gambling advertising, arguing that tighter restrictions are necessary to address the growing public health consequences associated with betting.
The recommendation came in a 173-page report by the House of Lords Liaison Committee, which criticised the government for failing to respond adequately to the rapid expansion of online gambling marketing, particularly through social media personalities and influencers, The Guardian reported.
The committee’s proposal would largely prohibit gambling advertisements in a manner similar to restrictions imposed on tobacco advertising. However, it recommended limited exceptions for horse-racing venues and lotteries.
The lawmakers linked gambling-related harm to a range of problems, including financial hardship, family difficulties and suicide. They argued that substantially reducing the volume of gambling promotion would help limit those harms.
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Figures cited in the report indicate that bookmakers, casinos and gaming businesses generated £12.6 billion from customers in Great Britain over the past year. Government data also estimates that about 1.4 million people in the country experience gambling-related problems.
The committee acknowledged that restricting advertising could reduce the size of the gambling industry in the UK. However, it argued that money currently spent on betting could eventually move into other areas of the economy, potentially benefiting wider consumer spending.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which represents licensed betting and gaming operators, strongly criticised the recommendation.
The organisation argued that banning gambling advertising could drive more consumers towards illegal operators, which would not be subject to the same regulatory requirements as licensed businesses.
Lord Foster, one of the report’s authors, acknowledged the threat posed by illegal gambling platforms but said the existence of the black market should not prevent lawmakers from addressing harm associated with the regulated industry.
He pointed to evidence examined by the committee that linked gambling advertising and marketing with significant social harm, while noting that regulators were already taking steps to tackle illegal operators.
The report comes almost two decades after the Gambling Act 2005 significantly changed the regulatory framework governing the industry under former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Before the legislation came into force, television gambling advertisements were largely limited to the National Lottery, football pools and bingo.
The law subsequently opened the door to wider commercial promotion of gambling products, with industry spending on advertising increasing significantly over the years. By 2024, gambling companies were estimated to be spending about £2 billion a year on advertising.
Opposition to the scale of gambling promotion has also grown among some political figures and local authorities.
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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, for example, has campaigned for councils to receive greater powers to prevent the opening of new betting shops and gaming venues. He has also called for gambling sponsorships to be removed from professional sport.
The industry, however, maintains that licensed operators already follow a number of voluntary measures designed to limit gambling exposure.
Among those measures is a voluntary agreement restricting television advertisements for sports betting during live sporting events.
The BGC has also argued that unlicensed operators are responsible for a substantial proportion of online gambling advertising.
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Its chief executive, Grainne Hurst, warned that banning licensed companies from advertising would weaken their ability to compete while doing little to prevent illegal operators from continuing to target consumers.
