for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
The debate over gambling adverts on London’s buses, trains and Underground stations has returned, this time with new data and sharper concern.
The Gambling Commission’s latest report has reignited public pressure on Mayor Sadiq Khan to remove gambling advertising from the Transport for London (TfL) network. The figures show that half of adults in London have gambled in the past 12 months, and 37 percent have done so in the last four weeks.
Those numbers are higher than in many other regions across the UK and have added weight to claims that London is facing a growing gambling problem, one that is becoming increasingly visible across the city’s transport system.
London “at the frontline of the nation’s gambling crisis”
Krupesh Hirani says financial strain is driving a rise in gambling activity.
The new data prompted Krupesh Hirani, Labour’s health spokesman and London Assembly Member, to call London “the frontline of the nation’s gambling crisis.” He said that communities across the capital are feeling the effects of rising gambling harm, worsened by wider economic pressures.
“Levels of deprivation and the cost of living crisis, as well as the price of housing, have led to increased gambling within London,” Hirani told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
He said that while more Londoners are turning to gambling under financial strain, advertising across buses and the Underground continues to normalise the behaviour. “We cannot sit back while communities pay the price,” he said.
Hirani’s remarks have added new urgency to a discussion that has simmered for several years but rarely gained political traction beyond local debate.
Familiar arguments return to City Hall
Campaigners say gambling should face the same advertising limits as fast food.
Hirani renewed his call for the Mayor to introduce a full ban on gambling adverts across the TfL network, drawing comparisons with London’s 2019 ban on fast-food advertising. That policy, introduced under Khan’s administration, removed adverts for high-fat, sugar and salt products from TfL spaces in an effort to address rising obesity rates.
Hirani said:
“The Mayor has successfully managed to ban fast food ads on TfL – he’s able to do that because there’s verified health guidance from Government. The same advice does not exist for gambling.”
The lack of official health advice on gambling harm remains one of the main barriers to a similar policy. Khan previously expressed support for tighter gambling advertising rules, but earlier this year his proposed ad ban was delayed, pending further consultation.
Calls for a London-wide approach
Campaigners want the capital to take the lead on responsible gambling policy.
At a recent round-table meeting with BetknowMore, a gambling support charity, Hirani discussed how a city-wide framework could help reduce harm and coordinate local responses. BetknowMore suggested forming a London-wide action group, bringing together public-health experts, local councils and TfL officials to share data and develop consistent policy.
Such a move would make London the first UK region to formally link transport advertising policy with responsible-gambling objectives. Hirani welcomed the idea, saying it could “help the city take control where national policy has stalled.”
BetknowMore has previously warned that the normalisation of gambling in public spaces, particularly in high-traffic areas like transport hubs, can increase risk for people in recovery or struggling with addiction.
Government says no to national restrictions
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport maintains its position against a national advertising ban.
A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) told the LDRS that the Government currently has no plans to legislate for advertising restrictions.
The spokesperson said:
“The Government does not currently have plans to legislate for restrictions to gambling advertising. However, we recognise that more work needs to be done to ensure that gambling advertising is appropriate, responsible, and does not exacerbate harm.”
That stance leaves most advertising-policy decisions to local authorities and individual transport bodies such as TfL, who manage contracts with advertisers across London’s public network.
London’s transport network at the centre of social policy
TfL spaces have become a testing ground for ethical advertising.
Transport for London’s ad spaces reach millions of passengers every day. Over the past decade, those platforms have been used not only for commercial advertising but also as a way for the city to shape public behaviour, from encouraging cycling to improving diets.
The discussion around gambling advertising fits into that wider question: how should London use its public spaces when commercial messages carry social impact?
Advocates for the ban say gambling should be treated in the same category as alcohol or tobacco, arguing that constant exposure increases risk for vulnerable groups. They also point to evidence suggesting that visibility plays a role in normalising gambling for younger audiences.
Opponents of the ban argue that advertising restrictions are a blunt tool that fail to address deeper causes such as financial insecurity and lack of mental-health support. They warn that restricting visibility without better education could simply push gambling further out of sight, not out of reach.
A deeper analysis of operator responsibilities and cost implications can be found in The cost of gambling compliance in 2025.
A growing national conversation
Pressure on gambling advertising continues to rise across the UK.
London’s debate reflects a broader national shift in attitudes toward gambling promotion. Across the UK, lawmakers and campaigners are increasingly questioning how advertising affects behaviour, particularly among younger and lower-income audiences.
Several local authorities outside the capital are considering similar bans, while sporting bodies have faced pressure to reduce sponsorship ties with gambling brands. The Gambling Commission’s report adds further weight to those calls, showing higher engagement rates and growing public concern.
For context on evolving regulation, explore Gambling Regulation in the UK.
For London, the question now is not whether the debate will continue but how far the city is willing to go in defining what responsible advertising looks like in public spaces.
Source: Gambling Insider
