London floods its transport system with gambling adverts

At the start of his term, Sadiq Khan made the fight against gambling advertisements a key campaign pledge. However, today, more than 500 advertising campaigns for online casinos and bookmakers have been displayed on the Transport for London (TfL) network, with a total of nearly £5 million spent since 2021. 

A clear promise, a very different reality

During the 2021 election campaign, Sadiq Khan said he would extend the ban already in place for unhealthy foods to gambling advertisements on London Underground and bus advertising spaces. His argument was simple: given the devastating impact of gambling addiction on individuals and their families, such messages should no longer be visible throughout the city. 

“I have already banned body-shaming adverts and adverts for foods high in fat, salt and sugar on the TfL network because of their impact on the health of Londoners. Given that gambling addiction can destroy lives and families, I will ask TfL to put forward plans to extend the ban to harmful gambling advertisements on the network,” he announced in 2021.

However, four years later, this promise has still not been fulfilled. With no formal measures or timetable announced, advertising campaigns for gambling operators have not only continued, but have also increased in number and intensity.

Data obtained through freedom of information requests shows that since Khan’s announcement, more than 500 gambling-related advertising campaigns have been run across TfL services – including the Underground, Overground, DLR, Elizabeth Line, trams and even Victoria Coach Station. 

These adverts have generated around £4.6 million – all billed as advertising revenue for TfL. Over the full three terms of Khan’s tenure to date, this figure rises to over £7.5 million.

The year 2025 is particularly significant: the number of campaigns has more than doubled to 223, an increase that contrasts with the lack of concrete measures against this type of promotion.

Who can stop them?

At City Hall, the official explanation is not so much a lack of interest in the cause as a fear of legal threats in the absence of a national framework defined by the British government.

“The government is looking at the best way to tackle harmful gambling, including understanding the impact of advertising, and the mayor will consider what action he can take once this review is complete,” said a spokesperson for the mayor.

City authorities regularly point to the lack of clear guidance from London or Westminster on the direct correlation between gambling advertisements and the harm they may cause. Without scientific evidence or robust national legislation, imposing a unilateral restriction could expose the City Council to costly legal action. 

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which is responsible for gambling policy in the UK, is gathering evidence to inform future decisions, but there is currently no formal research or review programme specifically looking at the impact of gambling adverts. 

Pressure from local associations and institutions

The pressure against these advertisements is not limited to isolated criticism. Campaign organisations and several London borough councils are urging the mayor to keep his promise and impose a ban on gambling adverts on TfL as soon as possible. 

Nick Harvey, spokesperson for the Coalition to End Gambling Ads, said:

“Sadiq Khan must do the right thing and honour his 2021 promise to end gambling adverts on TfL. There is no point in waiting for national guidelines; dozens of English councils have already banned gambling adverts on their networks without legal challenge, and every day of delay means more London families are being destroyed by gambling.”

Seven London councils have officially encouraged the mayor’s office to move forward, pointing out that every day of delay means more families are exposed to messages that they believe contribute to the normalisation of potentially destructive behaviour.

An industry with massive spending

The broader context of these debates is that of a gambling industry that spends heavily on advertising. It is estimated that UK operators allocate between £1 billion and £2 billion a year to advertising across all media (television, digital, outdoor billboards and sponsorship). 

Although the Betting and Gaming Council, the industry’s main representative, disputes the higher figures, claiming that the actual total is closer to £1 billion, these expenditures have prompted a reaction from public health advocates, who consider this over-visibility to be normalising gambling in everyday life.