From the Guardian · · 1m 30s
UK peers demand tobacco-style gambling ad ban
House of Lords report calls for sweeping restrictions on gambling advertising to protect millions struggling with addiction.
In brief
House of Lords report calls for sweeping restrictions on gambling advertising to protect millions struggling with addiction. A cross-party group of UK peers is pushing for a near-total ban on gambling advertising, similar to tobacco restrictions, arguing it's the most effective way to reduce harms from an industry…
Peers push for gambling ad ban
A cross-party House of Lords committee says the UK should ban almost all gambling advertising to protect public health, similar to tobacco restrictions.
The scale of the problem
British bookmakers, casinos and slot machine venues won £12.6bn from customers last year, while up to 1.4 million people have a gambling problem.
Why a ban would work
The report found a blanket advertising ban would be the most effective way to reduce harms like financial ruin, relationship breakdown and suicide.
How we got here
The 2005 Gambling Act liberalised advertising and allowed the industry to grow. Annual advertising spend has since reached £2bn in 2024, up from near zero before.
Industry fights back hard
The Betting & Gaming Council called the proposal deeply misguided, arguing a ban would help illegal operators who would continue advertising without restrictions.
“A blanket advertising ban would remove a key competitive advantage of being licensed and regulated while doing nothing to stop illegal operators targeting British consumers.”
Political momentum building
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, has pushed to give councils power to block betting shops and wants to end gambling sponsorship of sport.
In short
A cross-party group of UK peers is pushing for a near-total ban on gambling advertising, similar to tobacco restrictions, arguing it's the most effective way to reduce harms from an industry that won £12.6bn last year.
