London’s City Hall has called on the Government to form a legal definition of gambling so Mayor Sadiq Khan can fulfil his pledge to ban gambling ads on public transport.
The promise formed part of Khan’s re-election manifesto in 2021. However, he has since stated that he will wait for the Government to “provide a national framework to address the issue” before taking action.
Until the Government forms a legal definition of gambling, any policies to ban gambling ads across Transport for London (TfL) could face legal challenges from the industry.
Assembly Member Krupesh Hirano, who represents Brent and Harrow, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the Mayor requires a “robust enough policy” to withstand legal scrutiny from companies that will oppose the measure.
He added: “The Mayor has successfully managed to ban fast food ads on TfL – he’s able to do that because there’s verified health guidance from the Government. The same advice does not exist for gambling.
A spokesperson for the Mayor told the LDRS that Khan will “urgently consider what action he can take” once the Government has completed its review into addressing harmful gambling, including the impact of advertising.
Gambling advertising represents a significant source of income for TfL. Between April 2022 and March 2023 alone, the industry spent £663,640 on marketing on the tube network.
London-wide action group
During a roundtable at Assembly Hall last week, Hirani also formed a new London-wide action group to tackle gambling harms, as he claimed that the UK capital “is on the frontline of the nation’s gambling crisis”.
He warned: “Levels of deprivation and the cost of living crisis, as well as the price of housing, have led to increased gambling within London. We have also heard from people who live normal lives but take part in gambling before getting addicted. People feel a rush and then go into a spiral.”
According to reports, London’s gambling harm rate is almost double the national average, with 5.6% of Londoners affected compared to 2.9% across Great Britain.
Also present at the meeting were other local authority leaders, NHS specialists, and representatives of the gambling harms charity Betknowmore.
“I’m pleased that the local authority representatives present were committed to forming a London Action Group with Betknowmore UK,” stated Hirani on LinkedIn following the meeting.
“This group will be instrumental in sharing best practices, allowing councils to learn from each other and make meaningful local changes within their existing powers to push back against gambling harms.”
Pride In Place
A continuing concern for local authorities across the country is the placement and concentration of betting shops and adult gaming centres on the UK high street.
Notable names such as Dawn Abbot MP and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have added their voices to calls for local authorities to have a greater say in the placement of such venues.
They also accuse gambling companies of targeting areas of less economic wealth.
Now, as part of wider reforms to help revitalise high streets, local councils will have a greater say through the Pride In Place programme, which includes a provision on decision-making on “Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing”, influencing gambling outlets’ location and density in local communities.
Under section 97, the programme states: “This will allow local authorities to take data-driven decisions on premises licences, particularly in areas that have been identified as being vulnerable to gambling-related harm.
“This will empower local authorities to better shape their high streets and neighbourhoods, and to ensure a healthy mix of premises in their town and city centres.”
According to Hirani, part of the action group’s remit will be to address the issue of gambling venues within London’s boroughs.
“There are pockets and areas in all parts of London which are saturated with betting shops. It will hopefully mean local authorities can [identify things to] be done practically within their boroughs while we tackle the wider lobbying issue around gambling,” he concluded.
The Betting and Gaming Council has defended the role of gambling venues on the high street, highlighting that they support 46,000 jobs and contribute nearly £1bn a year in direct tax to the treasury, as well as a further £60m in business rates to local councils.
