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Gambling companies have spent nearly £5m to advertise on the London transport network since Sadiq Khan pledged to stop them from doing so, amid a prolonged impasse between the mayor’s office and the government.
Khan said during his 2021 mayoral election campaign that he would order Transport for London (TfL) to extend a ban on junk food ads to cover online casinos and bookmakers as well, citing the “devastating” impact of addiction.
Yet the mayor’s office has yet to make good on the manifesto promise, blaming a lack of guidance from central government on the links between gambling adverts and harm.
In the meantime, the number of gambling ads has increased, including a campaign for the online casino 888 that had to be withdrawn amid an outcry about its flippant tone.
Freedom of information requests submitted by the Guardian and other outlets indicate that gambling firms have run more than 500 campaigns since Khan made his pledge, at a cost of £4.6m.
Overall, they have spent more than £7.5m with TfL services, which include the underground, overground, DLR, Elizabeth line, trams and Victoria coach station, over the course of Khan’s three terms.
The number of campaigns hit 223 this year, more than double the number that ran last year, amid a continuing stalemate with Westminster over government policy on advertising.
A spokesperson for Khan said “The government is looking at the best way to address harmful gambling, including understanding the impact of advertising, and the mayor will consider what action he can take once that review is complete.”
However, no such review appears to be taking place.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) regularly gathers evidence to inform gambling policy, but there is understood to be no project under way at present to determine the specific links between advertising and harm, leaving Khan’s promise in limbo.
The mayor is understood to be concerned that any ban would be subject to legal challenge unless his office can point to evidence provided by the government. This was less of a risk when he imposed a ban on junk food ads because there is a nationally agreed definition of high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods and a large body of evidence about the harms they cause.
More than 1 million people in the UK suffer from a gambling problem, according to figures from the Gambling Commission. But, while some studies have suggested that there is a correlation between the number of adverts and harm, direct, causative links are notoriously hard to prove.
In his 2021 manifesto, Khan appeared to have few qualms about the need for any further evidence. The manifesto 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 the Coalition to End Gambling Ads questioned whether there was any need for Khan to wait for a steer from central government. “Sadiq Khan must do the right thing and honour his 2021 pledge to end gambling ads on TfL,” said Nick Harvey.
“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.”
Seven London councils have called for Khan to press ahead with a ban.
A DCMS spokesperson said it “recognises that more work needs to be done to ensure that gambling advertising does not lead to harmful gambling”.
Gambling companies spend about £2bn a year on advertising in the UK, according to one estimate. The Betting and Gaming Council has contested this figure, claiming the figure is closer to £1bn.
In 2019, gambling companies agreed a voluntary “whistle-to-whistle” code under which they do not advertise during sports fixtures shown before 9pm. They have also agreed to make 20% of their adverts dedicated to “responsible” gambling.
