The UK House of Lords committee published a report on 17 September calling for a gambling advertising ban 'as soon as possible'. The committee proposes abandoning the licensed-industry model and returning to pre-2005 policy: tolerate gambling, do not promote it. The core argument is 'lack of evidence that gambling advertising is safe'.
Operators reject the findings. Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, called the report 'deeply flawed' and said it weakens player protection. The dispute centres on prevalence figures. The committee claims 1 to 1.5 million UK adults show signs of problem gambling, citing the Gambling Commission's GSGB survey in which 2.4% of respondents scored 8 or above on the Problem Gambling Severity Index. The NHS survey puts the figure at 0.7% — around 350,000 people. Dan Waugh of Regulus Partners says the gap comes down to methodology: GSGB attracts a higher proportion of engaged gamblers (topic salience bias), and an 18–19% response rate amplifies the distortion. The Commission defends its method and cites expert backing, but academic Heather Wardle warned in 2023 of possible overestimation — a fact that emerged only through a freedom of information request.
The second point of contention is the black market. The industry argues an ad ban would clear ground for unlicensed operators. The committee dismissed that claim as 'insufficiently evidenced'. BGC forecasts unlicensed operators will spend £845 million on advertising in the UK this year. Hurst points to Finland, where half of online betting bypasses state monopoly Veikkaus, and to Italy and the Netherlands, where bans did not eliminate illicit supply. The committee held one evidence session; critics accuse it of bias. The government has two months to respond.
