Peers call for UK to enact tobacco-style ban on gambling advertising
Lords’ report faces criticism from lobby groups after suggesting ban would be ‘most effective’ way to reduce public harms The UK should introduce a ban on almost all gambling advertising to protect public health, a cross-party group of peers has urged, prompting fury from the lobby group for bookmakers and casinos. In a 173-page report, the House of Lords liaison committee said the government had…
A cross-party group of UK peers is calling for the government to enact a tobacco-style ban on gambling advertising, despite pushback from the industry lobby. The House of Lords liaison committee released a 173-page report, arguing that the government has been "too passive" in response to the surge in digital advertising and social media influencers promoting gambling.
British bookmakers, slot machines, and casinos generated £12.6 billion in revenue from customers in Great Britain last year, while up to 1.4 million individuals have a gambling problem, according to official data. The report found that a blanket ban on advertising, with exceptions for the lottery and racecourses, would be the most effective way to reduce harms such as financial ruin, broken relationships, and even suicide.
The report acknowledged that such a ban would likely shrink the UK's gambling sector, but argued that it would lead to long-term economic benefits as money previously spent on gambling would be diverted to other parts of the economy. The Betting & Gaming Council (BGC), the industry's lobby group, dismissed the report as "deeply misguided," contending that such a policy could increase harm by benefiting the illicit market, which continues to advertise despite regulatory efforts.
Lord Foster, a co-author of the report, acknowledged the illicit market's exploitative activities but insisted that the legal market is also causing harm and that there is ample evidence linking gambling advertising to harmful consequences. Gambling advertising in the UK was liberalized under the 2005 Gambling Act, which aimed to regulate the sector while also promoting its growth as a legitimate leisure activity.
In contrast to Blair, current Labour MP Andy Burnham has been a vocal critic of the gambling industry, recently giving councils more power to block new betting shops and "slot farms" on high streets.
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