The UK government is facing pressure to implement a complete ban on gambling advertising following a report by a House of Lords committee, which found that current regulations are inadequate.

The House of Lords Liaison Committee stated that a ban would be the most effective way to reduce gambling harm and address public concerns about the volume of gambling advertising.

In a report released on September 17, the committee took a stronger stance than a previous inquiry in 2020, which did not recommend a total ban on advertising.

The new report highlighted that between 1 million and 1.5 million adults in Great Britain suffer from problem gambling, and emphasized that digital advertising and other promotional activities have surpassed the current regulatory framework.

Lord Foster of Bath, the committee’s acting former chair, believes that a ban would help decrease gambling participation and the associated harm.

“We are confident that this would lead to a reduction in the gambling sector and have a positive impact on millions of people in the country,” Foster stated.

BGC Warns Advertising Ban Could Strengthen Black Market

The committee also addressed the gambling industry’s concern that stricter advertising regulations may push players towards unlicensed operators.

However, it expressed skepticism that limiting advertising by licensed operators would significantly increase illegal gambling activity.

She argued that advertising was a crucial differentiator between licensed gambling firms and illegal websites, citing examples from Italy and the Netherlands where restrictions on advertising coincided with concerns about unlicensed gambling.

“A blanket advertising ban would remove a key competitive advantage for licensed operators and fail to prevent illegal operators targeting British consumers,” Hurst explained.

The BGC recently cautioned that the UK black market for Premier League betting could surpass £1 billion ($1.36 billion) annually.

Hurst mentioned that the industry is willing to comply with stricter standards supported by evidence.

“This is not an argument against stringent advertising rules, but a call for proportional, evidence-based regulations that acknowledge the significant differences between lawful businesses and rogue operators,” she added.