More than half the public would like to see a ban on gambling advertising, according to a new poll taken as ministers prepare to unveil an overhaul of the industry. In the survey, carried out for the charity Gambling with Lives, 52% of respondents said they supported a ban on all gambling advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and nearly two-thirds wanted new limits on online stakes.
Ministers are expected to reject a blanket ban on gambling advertising in a white paper that could be published this week. The Premier League recently announced that its clubs would end shirt sponsorship by gambling firms by the end of the 2025/26 season.
Will Prochaska of Gambling with Lives, which supports families bereaved by gambling-related suicide, said: “This poll displays the strength of public sentiment on gambling advertising. The Premier League’s decision to remove ads from shirts but leave them all over stadiums and across broadcasts, is a cynical attempt to avoid regulation. This data shows the public won’t be tricked into thinking it’s enough. If gambling reforms fail to significantly restrict gambling advertising, they’ll be woefully out of step with a public that expects action.”
The Survation poll of 1,009 adults found that 68% of respondents thought under-18s should not be exposed to gambling advertising, 64% supported affordability checks for those wanting to bet more than £100 month, and 60% saw gambling as a danger to family life.
Campaigners hope the white paper will include a statutory levy on gambling firms to pay for research and treatment for addicts, and maximum stakes for online slots games.
The Observer revealed last year that some major betting firms were warning the government against an excessive crackdown, saying it could drive gamblers to the black market. The white paper will be the biggest overhaul of gambling laws since 2005. The betting industry has lobbied hard against too much change, plying supportive MPs with hospitality worth tens of thousands of pounds.
An investigation by the Times published this month included undercover footage of Scott Benton, the MP for Blackpool South, claiming he could leak a copy of the white paper to reporters posing as betting industry investors. Benton had the Conservative party whip suspended after referring himself to the parliamentary standards commissioner.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of campaign group Clean Up Gambling, said a mandatory levy on gross gaming yield (the amount retained by operators after paying out winnings) was likely. He said: “A statutory levy would represent a big win for campaigners, with about £150m a year going towards research, education and treatment.”
Carolyn Harris, Labour chair of the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), said:had found thatshowed the top 10% of gamblers delivered 79% of operator revenue in Britain. “The gambling industry creates jobs and pays money into the economy. No one wants to see it annihilated, but it needs to be reshaped, so it will be more accountable and have less-obscene profits.”
The APPG wants measures to include a ban on sport advertising, a new gambling ombudsman, a £2 maximum stake on online slots, a ban on VIP schemes and a mandatory levy.
Citizens Advice says gambling addiction has worsened the cost of living crisis for some. In a submission to the digital, culture, media and sport committee, it warns of a “toxic cycle between online gambling and the growing financial vulnerability”. Surveyed last October, more than a third of Citizens Advice advisers said they were aware of people “gambling to improve their financial situation”. Of the people they helped with gambling issues in the year to last September , one in five could not afford basics such as food, and one in four needed housing support.
A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) said: “The BGC’s largest members have pledged an additional £110m of funding over four years for research, education and treatment services to tackle gambling harm. The BGC has endorsed making contributions mandatory and would support a new scheme as long as funds are distributed effectively and independently.
“We strongly support the gambling review, but any changes introduced by the Government must not drive gamblers towards the growing unsafe, unregulated black market online, where billions of pounds are being staked.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “We are determined to protect those most at risk of gambling-related harm, including young and vulnerable people. We are working to finalise details of our review and will publish it shortly.”