Mayor of London Sadiq Khan vows to ban Underground gambling ads

Added: April 8, 2021

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has stated that he will be working on banning gambling ads in the London Underground in a statement released right before the mayoral elections in the city.

Back in 2018, the mayor of London banned junk food advertisements on the Underground rail service. He is now hoping to impose such a ban on the gambling ads if he is re-elected in May.

The Mayor’s declaration also added:

“I’ve already banned body-shaming advertisements and advertisements for foods high in fat, salt and sugar on the TfL network because of their impact on the health of Londoners. Given the devastating way gambling addiction can destroy lives and families, I’ll instruct TfL to bring forward plans to extend the ban to harmful gambling advertisements on the network.”

A possible ban on gambling advertisements in the London Underground can also bring along some consequences on future investments by Transport for London since ad revenue plays an important role in the general financial scene, since it accounts for about 40% of London’s outdoor ad revenue.

Now, the TfL is expected to reinvest more than £156 million in ad income back into the tube, which because of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen its numbers greatly decrease this past year, and is still dealing with low numbers.

Khan’s input into this declaration comes as the gambling ad and regulation of the gaming industry is facing more and more criticism from public figures, such as the groups advocating for a gambling law reform. It has been stated that the most possible result of the UKGC’s review of the Gambling Act will include a ban on shirt sponsorships as well as advertising by betting firms in football.

This news has allegedly been backed by members of Boris Johnson’s senior cabinet, as Carolyn Harris of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Harms claimed that this decision makes sense and is a good step forward.

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