18 September 2026

LONDON – As the reform debate around Britain's gambling sector spreads beyond policy into financing and advertising, Labour, the Lords, and key regulators are facing political scrutiny. A new report from the House of Lords liaison committee called for a total advertising ban, like that used for tobacco, with exceptions for lottery and horse racing. The report emphasized the government's response to online gambling advertising and support for social media influencers was not strong enough.

Peers including former prime minister Nick Clegg highlighted that British bookmakers, slot machine venues and casinos took in £14.2bn from customers last year, while an estimated 1.4 million British people suffer from problem gambling. The broad consensus among the 16 members was that tougher regulations were needed, especially to counter aggressive online marketing and the rise of small-scale online gambling apps. A total ban on advertising, with certain permitted exceptions, would be the most effective measure to combat this according to the panel.

The Lords' report comes amid intense scrutiny of the political donations made by the gambling sector. A Guardian investigation revealed the industry’s 10 most recent donations, totaling close to £300,000 since 2021, exclusively went to Labour. In the four years preceding the last General Election, Labour party records show political donations from the sector surpassed £600,000.

Shadow Culture Secretary Bridget Phillipson MP wrote to the Gambling Commission urging a probe into Tether.bet and Fispay, companies linked to Labour donors, following reports they operated without a licence in the UK. Additionally, crypto financier Christopher Harborne's £5m property gift to Nigel Farage is reportedly already under scrutiny by the parliamentary standards commissioner.

The political dimensions of these accusations are underlined by the betting sector's wider sponsorships and the rising use of these cash injections to boost sport. Last month, the Guardian found half of the Premier League’s clubs had sponsorship or advertising deals with businesses not licensed for the UK market, with those connections having increased over recent years.

More on this is available via https://casinovetting.com.

With the government considering a ban on sponsorship from unlicensed operators, as its ongoing consultation on the matter concludes, the stakes are high. Last year, the Labour Party announced it would legislate for the end of gambling advertising in all sports from 2028 if elected, as part of a package of key changes to reform gambling law.

Opponents of reform have argued major British gambling operators have pumped over £160m into tackling problem gambling over the last five years. Last year alone, major UK operators including Ladbrokes and William Hill contributed £48m to gambling care charity GambleAware. Critics, however, have maintained this is a small proportion of total marketing spending, and that larger-scale action is needed than purely voluntary programmes.

As public scrutiny of the industry's role grows, reformers are likely to keep pressure on government to move faster than its current timelines and adopt a bolder, more health-focused regulatory stance. Industry responses are likely to face renewed political inquiries, with calls for strict transparency and accountability surrounding the sector's financial and promotional activity.