Labour MP urges Channel 4 to spearhead blanket ban on gambling adverts
Alex Sobel encourages free-to-air channel to lead the way and claims most of the UK public support a complete embargo on gambling marketing
Labour MP Alex Sobel has urged Channel 4 to no longer air gambling adverts amid calls for a blanket ban across all channels.
According to an exclusive report in The Independent, the MP for Leeds Central and Headingley wrote a letter to Alex Mahon, the broadcaster’s CEO, insisting that it refrain from accepting paid adverts from gambling operators.
Channel 4 was the subject of Sobel’s request given it remains publicly owned, despite the fact the Conservatives had planned to privatise the channel in 2022 before abandoning the plans in January 2023.
The Labour MP’s letter came at a time when calls for a ban on gambling adverts are growing louder.
The Independent said gambling operators spend around £2bn per year on advertising, although there are concerns that under-18s are being exposed to too much betting-related content.
A recent GambleAware-commissioned report determined that as many as 1.6 million children in the UK come from households where an adult is experiencing problem gambling.
The same report said children who were exposed to gambling are four times more likely to experience gambling harm themselves, when compared to a child who hasn’t been exposed to the activity.
Sobel, whose constituency is home to Channel 4’s national headquarters in Leeds, is reported to have said in his letter to Mahon: “The majority of the UK public support a full ban on gambling advertising. I am asking that you consider a full ban on gambling advertising on Channel 4.
“As a broadcaster known to challenge the status quo, I hope that you will consider this request, which I have raised informally on a previous occasion.
“Channel 4 has been a pioneering, radical voice for the country for over 40 years. I am eager to work together to continue this positive legacy and help mitigate the worst effects of gambling harm.”
Questions surrounding the possibility of Channel 4 implementing a gambling advertising ban are expected to be raised at fringe meetings during the Labour Party’s Annual Conference, held this week in Liverpool.
Outlining the potential consequences of gambling harm, Sobel explained: “It can mean falling into debt, loss of employment, family breakdown, health problems and – in the most extreme cases – death.
“Gambling advertising has increased substantially in recent years. Greater exposure to advertising poses a particular risk to people with a gambling problem, who are almost 40 times more likely than the general public to bet more as a result of seeing them.”
Sobel explained that there has been a rise in gambling advertising aimed at women, while Gambling Commission figures from 2022 highlight that more women are gambling now than at any other time.
When approached for comment, Channel 4 told EGR: “We understand the concerns around gambling advertising on TV. That’s why all gambling advertising on our network complies with the rules and regulations on scheduling and taste.
“We have also supported initiatives to foster responsible gambling. As a commercially funded public service broadcaster, most of our income comes from advertising – this revenue helps us to make programmes that challenge issues, such as Ruth Davidson’s Football Gambling Addiction documentary. We believe it is up to our viewers to make their own minds up about the advertising messages they see.”
Steps have been taken within the UK to reduce audiences’ exposure to gambling advertisement. In April 2023, Premier League clubs voted to voluntarily ban gambling shirt sponsorships from the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
The decision was taken after consultations involving the Premier League, its clubs and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
TV gambling ads remains a prominent issue in other nations, including Australia, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under increasing pressure to introduce a blanket ban.
However, it seems he favours a cap system that would see no more than two gambling adverts per hour on each channel until 10pm, alongside a total ban one hour either side of all live sport.