The Betting and Gaming Council has rejected calls for a complete ban on gambling advertising in the UK, arguing that extending restrictions to licensed operators would give illegal gambling sites a competitive advantage. The response follows a proposal from the Local Health and Global Profits research consortium to widen the government’s planned restrictions on unlicensed gambling sponsorship to cover the regulated sector as well.
LHGP submitted its proposal as part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s consultation on banning sponsorship and physical advertising by gambling operators without a UK Gambling Commission licence. The consultation closed on Sept. 9 and currently covers areas including shirt sponsorships, stadium advertising, event naming rights, equipment, and venue infrastructure. The government’s preferred implementation date is August 2027.
LHGP wants those restrictions extended to licensed gambling companies and to online and digital advertising. The consortium argues that restricting only unlicensed operators could lead gambling companies to move marketing spending into channels that remain available, producing what it calls a “balloon effect.” It cited £1.5 billion in annual UK gambling advertising expenditure and research linking greater marketing exposure with increased gambling participation and harm.
The BGC said licensed operators already operate under extensive advertising restrictions, including age-targeting requirements for online marketing. Its members also commit around 20% of their TV, radio, and digital advertising to safer gambling messages and follow additional voluntary rules beyond the statutory requirements.
BGC members also operate under a voluntary whistle-to-whistle restriction preventing betting adverts from appearing from five minutes before live sport until five minutes after it ends before the 9pm watershed. Enders Analysis previously found that the policy reduced children’s exposure to betting adverts during the restricted period by 97% and cut overall exposure during live sports broadcasts by 70%.
A BGC spokesperson told SBC News that a blanket ban on regulated gambling advertising would not remove gambling marketing from the UK and could instead increase the relative visibility of illegal operators. The trade body pointed to falling advertising expenditure among licensed companies while unregulated gambling sites continue marketing through social media, search engines, and other online channels.
The BGC estimates that illegal operators could take as much as £800 million in bets during the current Premier League season and has warned that advertising expenditure by unlicensed companies could exceed that of the regulated sector by 2028. Those figures are BGC estimates rather than government measurements, and the size of the illegal gambling market remains disputed because activity on offshore platforms is difficult to track directly.
DCMS has separately proposed making it a criminal offence for sports clubs, leagues, venues, and other organizations to advertise or accept sponsorship from gambling operators that are not licensed in Great Britain. Around 40% of Premier League clubs had sponsorship or advertising relationships with unlicensed gambling companies during the 2025/26 season, according to the government consultation.
The proposed rules would not currently cover online advertising by unlicensed operators, although DCMS said further action could be considered through primary legislation. LHGP wants digital marketing included immediately, arguing that otherwise companies could move spending away from physical sponsorship and into less restricted online channels.
The government has not yet announced the outcome of the consultation. Its original proposal targets companies operating outside the UK licensing system, while LHGP is pushing for restrictions covering the entire gambling sector and the BGC wants enforcement concentrated on illegal operators while licensed advertising remains permitted under existing rules.