Bereaved families who have lost relatives to gambling-related suicide have written to Sir Sadiq Khan urging him to deliver on his four-year-old promise to ban betting and casino adverts from London’s transport network.
In a letter sent to City Hall this week, signed by 28 people harmed by gambling - including 20 bereaved family members - the mayor was asked: “How many more must suffer or die before something is done?”
Sir Sadiq had pledged in his 2021 re-election manifesto to instruct Transport for London (TfL) to ban adverts from betting websites and casinos, “given the devastating way gambling addiction can destroy lives and families”.
But four years on - and with no ban delivered - the mayor now says he wants to wait for the Labour Government to “provide a national framework to addressing this issue” before taking any action from City Hall.
His health advisor, Dr Tom Coffey, last year told the London Assembly that the ban had been delayed because TfL could be subject to legal challenges if it introduced restrictions based on its own definition of ‘harmful gambling’. City Hall was said at the time to have already asked the Government and public health partners to help develop a national definition.
Once that definition is published, Dr Coffey said his team would “move as swiftly as possible”. He added: “What I do not think you would want me to do, is do something that would cost millions in legal challenges and not move the dial one little bit.”
However, in their letter to Sir Sadiq, the families harmed by gambling have pointed out: “This makes little sense, as not only is there clear evidence that gambling is harmful, but more than 80 councils in England have banned gambling adverts on their own channels without legal challenges.”
While the Standard has not independently verified a complete list of over 80 councils, many have indeed already passed such bans on their own estates, including Bristol, Coventry, Dorset, Epsom and Ewell, Hackney, Nottinghamshire and Shropshire.
Will Prochaska, who leads the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), told the Standard: “Sadiq was a trailblazer in 2021 when he called for an end to gambling ads on TfL. Now he needs to come good and refuse to allow politics to get in the way of Londoners’ health.
“Other councils haven’t waited for permission from [Culture, Media and Sport Secretary] Lisa Nandy, and if Sadiq uses that as an excuse it will come at a horrifying cost - as the signatories to this letter will attest to.”
A spokeswoman for Sir Sadiq said the mayor would send a letter of response to the families, adding: “The mayor's thoughts are with all families and individuals who have been impacted by gambling addiction.
“The Government has a renewed commitment to looking at the best way to address gambling harms nationally and 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.
"Sadiq hopes that the Government’s leadership 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 what action he can take at a regional level.”
A spokesman for the Betting and Gaming Council meanwhile said: “Advertising must comply with strict guidelines and safer gambling messaging, which promotes safer gambling tools and signposts help to those concerned about their betting, is regularly and prominently displayed.
“BGC members already commit 20 per cent of TV, radio and digital advertising to safer gambling messaging. The previous Government stated research did not establish a causal link between exposure to advertising and the development of problem gambling.
“Each month around 22.5 million people in Britain enjoy a bet, on the lottery, in bookmakers, casinos, bingo halls and online, and the overwhelming majority do so safely and responsibly. The most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4 per cent of the adult population are problem gamblers.
“BGC members voluntarily contributed over £170m over the last four years to tackle problem gambling and gambling related harm, including £50m in 2024, funding an independent network of charities currently caring for 85 per cent of all problem gamblers receiving treatment in Britain.”
