A planned ban on gambling advertising on London’s transport network has been delayed.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is being accused of backtracking on one of the key pledges of his 2021 re-election manifesto, a ban on gambling advertising on the Transport for London network.
Khan’s manifesto proposed a new "ethical advertising policy" for TfL. It promised a proactive approach, rather than the more reactive one we’ve seen in recent years, with the network only removing advertising as a result of backlash and media outcry.
But Londoners are yet to see major change on the issue four years on, and the latest delay could mean that an outright ban won’t come in for some time yet.
Khan awaits new national framework from UK government
Khan is said to be waiting for a new “national framework” addressing the issue to be provided by the UK Government, before City Hall will take action on TfL gambling ads.
Commenting on the delay, Health advisor Dr. Tom Coffey explained that City Hall could find itself faced with a legal challenge if it went ahead with restrictions based on its own definition of what constitutes harmful gambling.
“The Government has a renewed commitment to looking at the best way to address gambling harms nationally. The mayor is pleased that one of the specific objectives of the research looks at filling gaps in the evidence base, specifically further understanding the impact of advertising,” a spokeswoman for Sadiq Khan said, according to the London Evening Standard.
“The mayor hopes that the new Government’s leadership on this will provide a national framework to addressing this issue, including providing a national definition of harmful gambling advertising. Once concluded, the mayor will in turn consider how he may be able to support at a regional level.”
Caroline Russell, Green leader at City Hall, has questioned Khan’s argument for the delay, however.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Russell said that she could not understand the need for additional evidence, given the "devastating" testimony that had already been heard from those affected by gambling addiction.
“I don’t understand why the mayor says he needs more evidence. Londoners who struggle with gambling need support. Instead, they are faced with adverts that normalise and glamourise gambling as they travel on the transport network,” Russell stated.
Problem gambling rates in London almost twice national average
Problem gambling rates in London are almost double that of the rest of the United Kingdom, with some London boroughs, such as Brent in North London, seeing disproportionate rises in problem gambling in recent years.
For example, 6.2% of Brent residents can be categorized as "problem gamblers," according to data released by Brent Council. That’s more than twice the national average of 2.9%.
In Brent, gambling-related harms cost an estimated £14.3 million per year. The borough also has the second-highest concentration of gambling shops in the capital: 81 in total.
Gambling advertising is a significant source of revenue for TfL, however. The organization was paid £663,640 for advertising space on the network between April 2022 and March 2023.
Lobbyists push back on ad ban
The UK's biggest gambling industry lobby group, the Betting and Gaming Council, is in favour of keeping the ads, arguing for the importance of the industry to the capital’s economy.
“Betting advertising and sponsorship must comply with strict guidelines and safer gambling messaging is regularly and prominently displayed,” a spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council said.
“The Government has previously stated research did not establish a causal link between exposure to advertising and the development of problem gambling. Each month in Britain around 22.5 million adults have a bet and the most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.”
Figures released by the lobby group showed that the industry generated £2.2 billion for the London economy in 2024, and provided 28,000 jobs for Londoners.
