The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is under pressure from constituents to lower the amount of gambling adverts on the Transport for London (TfL) after it emerged companies had spent more than £4.5 million with the network over recent months. The politician, who has led the city for nearly ten years, had previously pledged to remove it altogether. In 2021, during his election campaign, he had promised to extend an existing ban on junk food ads to cover online casinos.
The mayor’s office points to a lack of coordination and guidance from the government as a reason, according to a report from the Guardian, though pressure is building on Khan and his party to act, especially with the number of adverts increasing over that time.
Despite tougher rulings from national regulators, campaigners argue that TfL’s advertising network remains a policy blind spot, with the mayor’s 2021 pledge still unimplemented.
A freedom of information act submitted by the newspaper and other outlets suggest gambling firms have paid for 500 campaigns since the pledge, costing companies more than £4.6m in that time. A couple of adverts from 888 had to be withdrawn in that period, with flippant-sounding ads reading: “your bus is now an online casino” and “fancy a spin” receiving strong criticism from advocates.
His 2021 manifesto had read: ““I’ve already banned body-shaming advertisements and advertisements for foods high in fat, salt and sugar on the TfL network because of their impact on the health of Londoners. Given the devastating way gambling addiction can destroy lives and families, I’ll instruct TfL to bring forward plans to extend the ban to harmful gambling advertisements on the network.”
A spokesperson for Coalition to End Gambling Advertising (CEGA) debated whether the mayor’s office needed to wait for steer from the government before moving to act, telling the Guardian: “It makes no sense to wait for national guidance; dozens of English councils have already banned gambling ads on their channels without legal challenges, and every day of delay means more London families destroyed by gambling.”
Gambling adverts continue to be targeted by UK charities
Pressure continues from several leading UK-based organizations to curb the presence of gambling adverts on the country’s cultural landscape. Film actor Christopher Eccleston recently appeared in a 15-minute video for CEGA exposing the harms of problem gambling.
The actor interviews a range of experts and individuals who are touched by gambling addiction in the short film, including Joe Wade, CEO of ethical advertising agency Don’t Panic. He told the 28 Days Later actor the double standards applied to gambling advertising when comparing it to alcohol: “You can’t associate alcohol with sport, you can’t show that it makes you more sociable. It doesn’t make you more sexually attractive. You are unable to show alcohol leading to you being more successful or happier. Whereas with gambling ads, you’re allowed to imply all of these things.”
Earlier in the year, a pair of adverts for Kwiff and Betway were taken out of circulation, with each deemed to have a potential influence over children. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the Kwiff advert on X, featuring Lewis Hamilton, was: “a notable star within the sport, with a significant public profile and social media following. As such, we considered that Kwiff would have been aware of the possibility that Sir Lewis Hamilton would have strong appeal to under-18s.”
Betway’s advert on YouTube, linking to the Chelsea football team, was also thought inappropriate due to the ability of children to register a YouTube account using a fake date of birth. Betway criticized the move at the time, calling it a ”damaging precedent for gambling sponsorships in sport.”
Industry figureheads warn of overreach
Responding to the increased pressure on gambling adverts back in November, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) said: “20% of all broadcast and digital advertising is dedicated entirely to safer gambling messaging, a voluntary commitment made by the UK industry.”
An industry analyst from research firm Eilers & Krejcikt, Alun Bowden, said: “In a world where one site can look much like another on the surface, and the differences are in the nuances underneath, then how do you stand out? If you reduce advertising spend significantly, then you give more parity to black market operators who are increasingly spending more on SEO, affiliates, streamers and social media.”
As the debate intensifies, Khan now finds himself caught between mounting political pressure from campaigners demanding immediate action and an industry warning that further restrictions could drive consumers toward unregulated operators. With gambling advertizing already under renewed scrutiny from regulators, charities, and Parliament, the TfL controversy underscores a broader question facing UK policymakers: whether piecemeal local bans can meaningfully curb harm, or whether a clearer national framework is needed to settle the issue once and for all.
