Five London borough councils have called on the city’s mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, to remove advertisements promoting casinos and gambling websites from the Underground.
Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Hackney, and Lewisham councils have joined the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), which campaigns against the spread of harmful gambling promotions.
Mayor Khan has been accused of backtracking on his promise to ban such ads, a commitment made in his 2021 re-election manifesto. A spokesperson for the mayor said the government is reviewing the best ways to tackle gambling-related harm, including understanding the impact of advertising, and that Sir Sadiq would consider potential actions once the review is complete.
According to the Gambling Commission, which regulates gambling in the UK, over one million people each year suffer severe negative consequences from someone else’s gambling. Young people are particularly affected.
Tracy O’Shaughnessy, from southwest London and representing the charity GamLEARN, whose husband struggled with gambling addiction for over 30 years, said: “I know firsthand how quickly gambling can destroy a life and a family. Seeing London councils push back against gambling advertising really matters – it acknowledges that this addiction is real, destructive, and should not be promoted on our streets.”
Haringey Council was the first to join the coalition in January 2025, calling for an end to all gambling advertising. According to the Gambling Commission, Haringey ranks fourth in the capital, after Brent, Enfield, and Newham, in terms of licensed gambling premises.
Currently, more than 80 councils already restrict gambling ads on the spaces they control, but have limited power over private areas such as billboards, transport networks, broadcast media, and the internet.
The gambling industry is estimated to spend around £2 billion a year on advertising, which, according to the coalition, embeds gambling into everyday culture and exposes millions, including children and young people, to harmful marketing.
