UK gambling advertising: MP calls for Channel 4 to introduce a ban
Leeds MP Alex Sobel has urged Channel 4 to stop accepting gambling advertising.
UK. A Labour MP has called for the publicly-owned TV broadcaster Channel 4 to stop accepting gambling adverts. According to The Independent, Leeds Central and Headingley MP Alex Sobel has written to the channel’s chief executive Alex Mahon.
Sobel’s letter reads: “The majority of the UK public support a full ban on gambling advertising. I am asking that you consider a full ban on gambling advertising on Channel 4.
“As a broadcaster known to challenge the status quo, I hope that you will consider this request, which I have raised informally on a previous occasion. Channel 4 has been a pioneering, radical voice for the country for over 40 years. I am eager to work together to continue this positive legacy, and help mitigate the worst effects of gambling harm.”
With increasing calls for greater curbs on gambling ads in general, it appears that Sobel is appealing to Channel 4 in particular because it is still publicly owned. The broadcaster is also located in his constituency.
The MP added: “Many people gamble without ever experiencing the devastating harms it can cause. But for those who do, it can mean falling into debt, loss of employment, family breakdown, health problems and – in the most extreme cases – death.
“Gambling advertising has increased substantially in recent years. Greater exposure to advertising poses a particular risk to people with a gambling problem, who are almost 40 times more likely than the general public to bet more as a result of seeing them.
“There has also been a rise in advertising that is directly aimed at women, a growing market for the gambling industry. The commission’s 2022 figures show that more women are gambling now than ever before. They also found more women are at risk of harm from gambling addiction.
“Removing gambling advertising from broadcast and on-demand television would provide another layer of protection for those vulnerable to gambling-related harms, and help stem the increase in gambling activity among new target demographics targeted by the gambling industry.”
It’s expected that the issue of gambling advertising may come up in discussion at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The previous government’s gambling white paper, published in April 2023, did not propose specific curbs on gambling ads after the Premier League headed off a potential ban on football sponsorship by voting to introduce a voluntary ban on front-of-shirt sponsorship from 2027.
In general, the new Labour government is not expected to have a different view from the previous government. However, there continue to be concerns about children’s exposure to gambling advertising.
