Health body calls for gambling ad ban on London transport

London Mayor Sadiq Khan had proposed the ban back in 2021.

UK.- The London Assembly Health Committee (LAHC) has called on London mayor Sadiq Khan to ban all gambling adverts on the Transport for London (TfL) network. Khan had reportedly ordered such a ban in 2021, but the LAHC suggests that this has not yet happened.

The LAHC said research suggested that London’s rate of problem gambling is almost double the national average and that “a correlation exists between exposure to gambling advertising and increased gambling participation, particularly among young people and those with gambling issues”.

Its report acknowledged a need for more research into the effects of gambling advertising and that there was no clear definition of harmful gambling advertising, but it said that there was public support for a total ban.

LAHC chair Dr Onkar Sahota said: “The Committee does not view the current evidence base as a prohibiting factor in introducing advertising restrictions. The Mayor’s 2021 manifesto pledged to ban ‘harmful gambling advertisements’ across the TfL network. The Committee understands that this has not been implemented, as there is no definitive definition of harmful gambling, with a definition from the Government pending. Nevertheless, the Committee believes the Mayor should advance proposals for such a ban.”