London Mayor Accused of Backtracking on Gambling Ad Pledge
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is under fire for failing to deliver on a 2021 pledge to ban gambling advertisements across the London Underground network.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Critics accuse him of backtracking on a clear manifesto promise made during his re-election campaign, in which he committed to directing Transport for London (TfL) to prohibit ads from betting websites and live online casinos.
Four years later, the proposed ban remains unimplemented. Instead, Khan has stated he will wait for the national government to establish a comprehensive policy framework before considering regional action.
Questions Submitted by Green London Assembly
In response to a written question by Green London Assembly member Caroline Russell, Khan was pressed on when he plans to adopt a more ethical advertising approach for TfL. She criticized the current reliance on public complaints and media scrutiny to trigger the removal of gambling ads.
Khan replied that he wants to review the government’s upcoming proposals before assessing their relevance for TfL’s advertising strategy.
Labour’s national manifesto last year contained a commitment to reducing gambling-related harm and promised updated gambling regulations to better reflect changes in the gaming industry since 2005. The party pledged to improve protections and work with the industry to encourage responsible practices.
Despite this, Khan continues to face calls to honor his own local promises. In March last year, the London Assembly’s health committee highlighted that the capital has nearly double the national average rate of problem gambling.
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Waiting for National Definition of Harmful Gambling
During its inquiry, Khan’s health advisor, Dr. Tom Coffey, explained that the proposed advertising ban had been delayed due to potential legal risks. He noted that any City Hall-led restriction based on its own definition of harmful gambling could face legal challenge. Instead, officials have been waiting for the government and public health bodies to produce a national definition.
Once that definition is available, Coffey assured that his team would act quickly, but he also warned against hasty measures that could result in costly lawsuits without meaningful impact.
A spokesperson for Khan has defended the mayor’s position, saying he supports the national government’s renewed focus on tackling gambling harms.
The Government has a renewed commitment to looking at the best way to address gambling harms nationally. The mayor is pleased that one of the specific objectives of the research looks at filling gaps in the evidence base, specifically further understanding the impact of advertising. The mayor hopes that the new Government’s leadership on this will provide a national framework to addressing this issue, including providing a national definition of harmful gambling advertising. Once concluded, the mayor will in turn consider how he may be able to support at a regional level.
In the meantime, TfL continues to make money from gambling-related advertising, which brought in £663,640 between April 2022 and March 2023.
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