Councils call on TfL to ban gambling ads on the Tube

Five London councils have called on Sir Sadiq Khan to ban adverts for casinos and gambling companies on the Underground.

Earlier this year, the Mayor of London was accused of backtracking on his 2021 re-election promise to ban the adverts, after it was announced a ban would be paused until a definition of ‘harmful gambling’ was agreed.

Around 500 people a year are believed to attempt to take their own lives as a result of their gambling addiction, and the councils have joined with the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) to urge him to take action to remove the adverts from a place where dozens of people take their own lives every year.

‘Relentless advertising’

Will Prochaska, Director of CEGA, praised Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Hackney, and Lewisham councils for their stand. He said: “It’s inspiring to see councils stepping up to protect the health of their populations where national government is still wanting.

“Councils across the UK are recognising that gambling is a public health crisis fuelled by relentless advertising.

“By joining this coalition, they’re standing up for their communities and sending a clear message. It’s time to stop allowing companies to profit from promoting harmful products. We urge others to follow their lead.”

‘The research is there’

Tracy O’Shaughnessy of GamLearn told The Christian Institute: “With gambling advertising, it’s promoted as fun, it’s play, it’s a game, you can win, so young people are going to be attracted to these products.

“We know that we have a growing number of younger and younger people coming through NHS and other support services for gambling-related harm. I think currently we stand at 85,000 11 to 16-year-olds in this country diagnosed with a gambling disorder. That is a hugely worrying figure.

“We’ve seen a ban on junk food on TfL, we’ve seen a ban on advertising around alcohol and cigarettes, because the research is there and the harm is well known. Well the research is there in regards to the harm from gambling.”

She refuted the Mayor of London’s claim that more research is needed, saying: “The research is there, these are harmful products being advertised, normalised, on our high streets, and young adults are using buses, tubes, trains to get to school and back all day, every day. And I find it astonishing that we’re still seeing it so blatantly in our community. Every day. We can’t get away from it.”