New report finds public support for gambling advertising restrictions in the UK
The study urges the government to recognise changing public attitudes to gambling.
UK.- A new report urges the UK government to recognise changing public attitudes to gambling and its visibility in everyday life. The think-tank More in Common says its public insights study for the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) is the most comprehensive account yet of how Britons view gambling and its advertising.
While the survey found that gambling itself is broadly tolerated, the report concludes that the public feels “bombarded by gambling promotions and under-protected from harms.”
Titled Ending a Losing Streak, the study segments the population into seven groups based on values and behaviours: Progressive Activists (12 per cent), Incrementalist Left (21 per cent), Established Liberals (9 per cent), Sceptical Scrollers (10 per cent), Rooted Patriots (20 per cent), Traditional Conservatives (8 per cent), and Dissenting Disruptors (20 per cent).
Concern about gambling’s saturation was found widespread across all seven groups. Two-thirds of respondents said it has become “more noticeable than ever,” with television (63 per cent), online advertising (62 per cent) and sports sponsorship (61 per cent) the main drivers. Respondents also pointed to unexpected intrusions, such as food-delivery apps offering “free spins” or promotional mailings sent directly to homes.
The report highlights parallels with tobacco marketing before advertising bans, noting that most Britons believe gambling promotion has reached unhealthy levels. Protecting young people is a recurring theme: 68 per cent of respondents said under-18s should not be exposed to gambling ads, while many backed policies to keep scratchcards and lottery tickets out of sight at checkouts.
Sports sponsorship was singled out as a major factor of concern, with nearly half of respondents supporting the idea of a ban on football sponsorships. Overall, the consensus is that gambling has become “omnipresent in British culture” and should face restrictions similar to those applied to alcohol and tobacco.
Beyond advertising, the research also suggests declining trust in institutions tasked with harm reduction. Only one-third of respondents believed the Gambling Commission regulates effectively, while half expressed little or no confidence.
A lack of trust
Respondents criticised bodies such as GambleAware and GamCare, describing them as tokenistic and too closely aligned with industry interests. Focus groups also dismissed campaigns like “When the Fun Stops, Stop” as cynical marketing rather than genuine safeguards.
Many participants argued that the current system effectively “polices itself,” undermining credibility and independence. Some went further, characterising industry-funded initiatives as “half-arsed attempts to appease regulators while continuing to profit from addiction.”
The report highlights a sharp decline in confidence in gambling regulation, noting widespread doubts about whether current authorities have either the capacity or the determination to prevent harm. Researchers conclude that the existing framework is “too weak to curb the worst excesses of the industry.”
Support for stronger oversight is clear: 65 per cent said they would back tougher regulation of gambling, a higher level of endorsement than for technology or financial services. This sentiment spans party lines, with Labour, Conservative and Reform voters united in the view that gambling requires stricter controls and greater accountability.
The authors frame reform as a “politically low-risk, high-reward opportunity” for the government since public opinion increasingly treats gambling harm as a public-health issue. They suggest that gambling reform is “a rare policy that protects people from harm, costs the government nothing, and enjoys widespread public backing.”
A push for advertising reforms
The research identifies advertising restrictions as the most immediate way to restore trust. Two-thirds of respondents believe under-18s should be shielded from all forms of gambling promotion, creating a clear platform for change.
The government has yet to launch any formal consultation on gambling advertising, and previous debates have led to a rejection of the idea of a ban on sports sponsorship (instead, a voluntary ban on gambling sponsors appearing on the front of Premier League shirts is set to start from the 2026-2027 season).
However, the debate has lingered. In November, a GambleAware report called for urgent reforms, arguing that the current rules for gambling marketing and content online “do not reflect the unique challenges presented by the digital age.”
The Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) was founded at the start of 2025 to push for a reduction in gambling ads in various areas, with one major initial focus being on London’s underground transport system. The coalition is led by Will Prochaska and counts local authorities in Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Hackney and Lewisham and East Suffolk among its members.
DCMS ministers Stephanie Peacock MP and Baroness Twycross have acknowledged mounting political concern about the scale of gambling exposure and the prominence of betting-related marketing.
Conservative peer Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who authored the foreword of the new CEGA-commissioned report said: “Even those who gamble support a tougher stance on the industry, supporting moves to track expenditure and ensure limits on unaffordable losses. In fact, more gamblers want the sector to shrink than to grow. These findings directly contradict the gambling industry, which repeatedly claims to represent the views of gamblers when it demands looser regulation.”
He added: “Public faith in the institutions that are supposed to protect us from the harms of gambling has been eroded. Only a third of the wider public have any trust in the Gambling Commission to properly regulate the sector.”
For the moment, the biggest change to come for the British gambling sector in 2026 is the implementation of a rise in Remote Gaming Duty for online casino gaming from April 1. The rate on gross gaming revenue will rise from 21 to 40 per cent. A tax rise on general betting duty for online betting to 25 per cent will follow in April 2027.
