UK Gambling Industry Contests House of Lords Evidence Supporting Advertising Ban

The House of Lords Liaison Committee issued a follow-up report on 17 September urging the UK government to ban gambling advertising “as soon as practicable.” It further recommended that ministers drop efforts to grow the licensed industry and revert to the pre-2005 stance that gambling should be tolerated but not encouraged. The committee asserted there is “no evidence for the safety of gambling advertising.”

Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), called the document “a deeply misguided report which risks weakening, rather than strengthening, consumer protection,” according to reporting by iGaming Business. Industry responses focus on the report’s reliance on disputed data, its assessment of voluntary measures and its dismissal of black market risks.

Disputed Metrics on Harm and Survey Reliability

The report cites between 1 million and 1.5 million adults in Great Britain as potential problem gamblers, drawing from the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). That survey places 2.4% of adults at eight or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index. The committee itself notes that the NHS Health Survey for England, recording 0.7% in 2024, implies roughly 350,000 such individuals.

Dan Waugh, a partner at Regulus Partners, told iGaming Business that the GSGB has produced higher rates than other official sources for nearly two decades, including multiple NHS surveys. He attributes this to topic salience bias, noting an 18-19% response rate fell short of the 22% target. Waugh referenced academic Heather Wardle warning the commission in 2023 about over-recruitment of engaged gamblers, a concern that surfaced via freedom of information request. The committee acknowledges disputes yet proceeds largely on the basis that the GSGB figures are sound.

Timing adds another layer. The Premier League’s front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship ban began only in August, after the committee took evidence on 17 June. The report still deemed voluntary steps insufficient and cited an academic projection that the shirt change would reduce visible marketing by around 9%. Waugh, who also gave evidence, stated that “9% is still a meaningful reduction.”

Black Market Risks and the Limits of Monopoly Evidence

The committee rejected industry warnings that an advertising ban would expand illegal operators, labeling the concern “insufficiently evidenced.” Hurst countered that the report dismisses the “rapidly growing threat from the criminal gambling market simply because it does not fit its conclusions.”

The BGC projects unlicensed operators will spend £845m on British advertising this year. The report leans on a study interviewing 11 safer-gambling staff from ten state-owned operators, seven in Europe. That study addressed safer gambling practices rather than illegal migration and occurred in monopoly settings where the only alternative is unlawful supply. Finland offers contrast: its state operator Veikkaus has argued since 2022 to end its monopoly after the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority estimated half of online gambling money flows outside official channels.

Olli Sarekoski, Veikkaus chief executive, told Lottery Daily: “A lot of gaming is outside the official channels. What is the point of the monopoly if this is the case?” He added: “It’s easier to create very tight regulations, but it’s very demanding to keep the channeling rate up.”

The Lords inquiry held one evidence session with what it termed a “small, balanced, selection” of parties. The government must respond within two months. The exchange highlights ongoing friction over data standards, timing of reforms and practical enforcement against unlicensed supply.

Reporting: iGaming Business (iGB)

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