A new report has revealed that Great Britain has some of the most lenient regulations on gambling advertising, despite having more research on the negative effects of gambling marketing than several other European nations combined. This report, which was commissioned by GambleAware, highlights how restrictions on gambling marketing are becoming more common across Europe, driven by increasing public health concerns. These concerns focus on the harm caused by excessive exposure to gambling advertisements, which leads to normalizing gambling for children and young people.
Research shows clear public support for stronger regulation, with a significant majority of the population agreeing that there is too much gambling advertising. According to the findings, 67% of the public believes there is excessive gambling marketing, and 74% support stricter controls on social media ads, while 72% back more regulations on TV ads.
GambleAware, the leading charity working on gambling harm prevention and treatment in Great Britain, has warned that the country is lagging behind in implementing effective gambling marketing regulation. The charity is calling for several key policy changes to address public health concerns, including a pre-watershed ban on broadcast gambling ads, restrictions on online gambling content and marketing, and a blanket ban on gambling advertisements across sports. The charity also advocates for mandatory health warnings on all gambling ads, given the strong evidence linking such advertising to increased participation, risk, and harm, especially among children.
Prof. Siân Griffiths CBE, public health expert and Chair of GambleAware Trustees, stated:
“We have previously highlighted that the lack of gambling advertising and marketing regulation in this country is a missed opportunity. It is important we remember that gambling can be addictive and gambling harms need to be recognised as a public health issue that can affect anyone. We have long been concerned about the impact gambling ads and marketing can have on children and young people. This is why urgent action is needed to protect the next generation from experiencing harm.”
In contrast to Great Britain, many European nations such as Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium are rapidly introducing stricter regulations in response to growing concerns about gambling harm. Despite the UK having published nearly 500 research papers over the past decade, with contributions from leading universities such as Bristol, Bournemouth, and Glasgow, no significant primary legislation exists to regulate gambling marketing in Great Britain. This is a stark contrast to the stricter policies emerging across Europe.
Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, added:
“Every day we are bombarded by gambling advertising, marketing and sponsorship on TV, radio and online. There is huge public support to curb it and there’s a wealth of research showing the harm it causes. But we remain woefully behind the curve in terms of the regulation needed to protect individuals from harm. Crucially, the power to regulate key aspects of this – such as gambling advertising – is already within the gift of the Secretary of State as set out in the Gambling Act 2005. Our current regulations are too lenient, and fail to advance the much-needed public health approach to gambling that Peers for Gambling Reform has long called for.”
Despite the growing evidence and calls for regulation, gambling advertising continues to increase. Latest estimates show that gambling operators in Great Britain spend around £1.5bn annually on advertising. A recent study revealed that Premier League fans were exposed to nearly 30,000 gambling-related messages during the opening weekend of the football season — a 165% increase compared to the previous year. This increase in gambling marketing is happening even as the public continues to demand action. According to research from GambleAware and Ipsos in June, 67% of the public believes there is too much gambling advertising, and large majorities support regulations on both social media (74%) and TV (72%).
Dr. Raffaello Rossi, author of the report and marketing researcher at the University of Bristol, said:
“Our research shows that Great Britain has the strongest evidence of gambling marketing’s harms but some of Europe’s fewest restrictions. This suggests that the lack of tight restrictions isn’t due to insufficient evidence but rather a lack of political will. Across Europe, bans on gambling marketing are increasingly the norm, seen as necessary to protect the public. Great Britain, however, is becoming an outlier with almost no meaningful restrictions. The evidence is clear — policymakers must act urgently to protect millions from preventable harm.”
Craig Tampin, who has lived experience of gambling harm, shared his personal story:
“Gambling harm had a devastating impact on my life – my finances, my mental health and my relationships. My friends and family suffered immensely too. What started off as what I felt were harmless bets eventually took control of me and it felt like everywhere I looked, there were endless gambling adverts. Even my recovery was that much harder because while I was able to block apps on my phone, I couldn’t escape from ads online, on TV and the radio or watching football. It’s become so normalised in our country that I’m not sure how bad politicians realise it has become – we can’t continue like this and we need action.”
The Government is expected to announce the results of its statutory levy consultation soon, which would require gambling companies to contribute a percentage of their profits towards the prevention, research, and treatment of gambling harm.
Zoë Osmond, CEO of GambleAware, concluded:
“We look forward to the forthcoming implementation of the statutory levy by the new Government, which will provide much-needed clarity for the future system to tackle gambling harms and provide vital funding for prevention initiatives. But we mustn’t forget that the bombardment of gambling marketing in this country is a key reason why people find themselves in a position where they need advice, support or treatment. The changes we are proposing are fair and sensible, but crucially will make a huge difference – gambling harms can affect anyone, and must do everything we can to keep people safe from gambling harm.”
The charity hopes that these proposed regulatory changes will help curb the increasing harm caused by gambling marketing, ultimately protecting vulnerable individuals, particularly children and young people, from the risks of addiction.