Gambling Reform APPG

A busy week for the APPG for Gambling Reform as we continue to push for stronger action on gambling advertising, marketing and sponsorship.

On Wednesday 21^st October, the APPG brought together parliamentarians, researchers and campaigners in Parliament for a series of events highlighting the scale and impact of gambling advertising, particularly across football and sport.

The day began with the launch of new research from Dr Raffaello Rossi at the University of Bristol, examining gambling advertising during the opening weekend of the 2026/27 Premier League season.

This was followed by a parliamentary drop-in, providing an opportunity for MPs, Peers and key stakeholders to discuss the impact of gambling advertising and the need for stronger protections against gambling-related harm.

We were delighted to be joined by Peter and Steph Shilton, Will Prochaska and Nick Harvey from the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) and Matt Zarb-Cousin from Clean Up Gambling, who have all played an important role in raising awareness of gambling-related harm and campaigning for meaningful reform.

The day’s activities concluded with a parliamentary photocall, bringing together parliamentarians and campaigners to demonstrate the growing support for stronger restrictions on gambling advertising, marketing and sponsorship.

On Thursday 21^st October, we were also pleased to support CEGA as they handed in their petition to 10 Downing Street, calling for an end to gambling advertising in football to better protect young fans. The petition, which the APPG has supported, reflects growing public concern about the widespread presence of gambling advertising across the game and the need for meaningful action to protect children and young people.

The APPG has long raised concerns about the proliferation of gambling advertising and the normalisation of gambling, particularly among children and young people. We have consistently argued that the scale of gambling advertising in the UK is unacceptable and that much more must be done to protect people from its harmful effects.

These concerns were reinforced by the House of Lords Liaison Committee’s recent report, which recognised the harms associated with gambling advertising and called for a comprehensive ban to be introduced as soon as practicable.

This follows the publication of the APPG and PGR’s joint report on gambling advertising, marketing and sponsorship, which highlighted the need for a fundamental change in the Government’s approach to gambling advertising and called for meaningful action to tackle its proliferation.

The message from this week’s activities is clear: the Government must now take meaningful action to address the scale of gambling advertising in the UK and put the protection of the public ahead of the commercial interests of the gambling industry.

Thank you to all the parliamentarians, researchers, campaigners and stakeholders who joined us throughout the week and continue to support this important work.