London Boroughs Push to Ban Gambling Ads on the Underground
Five London boroughs have reinforced calls for a ban on gambling advertising across the Tube network.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Mayor of London Sadiq Khan first pledged to prohibit gambling adverts on the London Underground in 2021 – a pledge critics say has since stalled – and momentum for delivery has intensified this year as local authorities coalesce behind a targeted campaign.
Councils Escalate Campaign
Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Hackney and Lewisham have formally joined the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), a group set up in early 2025 to press for tighter controls on gambling marketing in public spaces. Haringey, which became the first London council to sign up in January 2025, continues to lead local authority engagement alongside the newer members.
The move follows an earlier April initiative in which 38 local government bodies asked Whitehall for greater powers to block planning applications for betting shops and to control the placement of gambling advertisements. Brent – one of the most active councils on the issue – has commissioned its own studies into gambling-related harm and has 77 licensed high-street betting permits, the same number recorded for Enfield. Haringey holds 63, Barnet 61, Lewisham 53 and Hackney 43.
CEGA’s campaign frames the Tube as a particularly sensitive environment because it delivers large-scale, unavoidable exposure to commuters, children and young people. A CEGA spokesperson said: “The sheer volume of people who use the Underground every day means adverts are not a neutral commercial exercise – they shape attitudes and behaviours. We are asking the mayor and Transport for London to take decisive action to protect Londoners, especially younger people, from constant gambling promotion.”
Supporters point to public health concerns and a growing body of research linking advertising exposure to greater gambling participation and harm. “There is growing evidence that normalising gambling through high-profile outdoor advertising increases risk, particularly for vulnerable groups”, said Dr. Martin Harris, a researcher on gambling-related harm. “Reducing the visibility of these adverts is a proportionate public health response while regulators and operators work on longer-term measures.”
However, industry and some analysts argue that the number of brick‑and‑mortar betting shops has been shrinking for years. The UK Gambling Commission’s March 2025 figures show 5,825 licensed betting premises, down from 8,872 in 2009, even as gross gambling yield has edged higher in recent reporting periods. Campaigners note that a decline in shops does not address the omnipresence of advertising across transport networks and digital channels.
Operators are also reassessing their retail footprints after a recent UK Autumn Budget measure that raises gambling taxation, a development several firms have said will prompt cost-cutting and further closures of shops. CEGA and the councils contend that advertising restrictions are a separate lever local and city government can, and should, use.
Related: London Assembly Investigates Health Impacts of Gambling
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Council Demands and Next Steps
The councils are urging the mayor and Transport for London to implement a ban on gambling advertisements on Tube property and across other TfL-controlled sites. They also want enhanced planning powers to allow boroughs more influence over where betting shops operate, and a clearer framework for how advertising space is allocated in public transit environments.
Any move to remove adverts will require TfL to review existing advertising contracts and navigate potential legal challenges from media owners and operators. Transport for London, the Mayor’s office and the Gambling Commission would all play roles in shaping the policy and its enforcement.
Momentum from local authorities increases political pressure on City Hall to set a timetable. If Mayor Khan or TfL signal firm intent, the policy debate will shift from whether a ban is desirable to how quickly it can be implemented and what compensatory arrangements might be needed for existing commercial agreements.
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