New polling reveals widespread frustration with gambling marketing, particularly its reach into kids’ spaces and everyday media.
Poll Shows Brits Want the Volume Turned Down
Gambling may be legal in the UK, but public tolerance for how it’s marketed is running thin. A new poll by think tank More in Common, commissioned by anti-gambling ad campaigners, found that 70% of people support tighter rules on advertising and sponsorship. Over a quarter want gambling companies banned from promoting themselves altogether.
It’s not gambling itself that’s setting off alarm bells—it’s the relentless barrage of ads. From TV breaks to TikTok scrolls, people say the sheer volume of promotions is out of control, with many describing it as inescapable.
Kids in the Firing Line
Concern is especially sharp when it comes to under-18s. More than two-thirds of those polled believe children shouldn’t see any gambling ads. Football sponsorship, long a flashpoint in this debate, came in for particular criticism. Around half of the respondents back a total ban on gambling branding in the sport.
Will Prochaska, director of the Campaign to End Gambling Advertising, called the findings a wake-up call. “We urge the government to start by banning all gambling ads and content from children’s social media and computer games,” he said.
Regulators Under Fire
The spotlight isn’t just on the ads—it’s also on who’s (supposedly) keeping them in check. Confidence in the UK Gambling Commission is waning, with only a third of respondents saying they trust it to do its job. Around half say they don’t trust it at all.
Industry-funded harm reduction bodies fared no better. Critics argue these groups are too closely tied to the companies they’re meant to keep in line.
Public messaging campaigns haven’t helped much either. Slogans like “When the Fun Stops, Stop” were dismissed by many as hollow PR gestures rather than meaningful interventions.
Lawmakers Taking Notice
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, who penned the foreword to the report, called for bold action: “The report shows that tougher regulation would not only be uncontroversial but strongly backed by voters across the political spectrum.”
Labour MP Beccy Cooper echoed the sentiment. “Current rules are no longer fit for purpose,” she said. “Promotions now saturate television, social media and influencer marketing, exposing children and young people as a matter of course. This must change.”
Regulatory Tweaks, But Advertising Escapes the Axe
The government has recently moved to close a loophole that let offshore gambling operators advertise to UK audiences under weaker standards. From September 2025, all licensed firms will face the same rules, no matter where they’re based.
Still, despite a raft of new rules—from online slot stake limits to a mandatory levy for addiction services—gambling advertising has mostly escaped unscathed.
The industry points to its voluntary “whistle-to-whistle” code, which restricts ads during daytime sports broadcasts, and a commitment to dedicate 20% of ad space to “responsible gambling” messages. But critics say it’s window dressing. Even with those measures, estimates suggest the industry spends between £1.15bn and £2bn a year on marketing.
Political Pressure Builds
With polling now clearly showing public support for tougher restrictions, campaigners see advertising reform as a politically safe win. And for voters sick of seeing gambling brands at every turn, it’s about time something changed.
Whether ministers will finally take the plunge remains to be seen. For now, the noise is growing—and it’s not just coming from the ad breaks.
