UK government challenged over ‘evidence led’ retreat on gambling advertising ban

Tuesday, September 5, 2023 8:20 PM
  • Paul MacInnes, The Guardian

The government has been criticised for claiming it took a decision to step back from a ban on gambling advertising because there was “little evidence” that it led to harm among users.

Speaking in front of the culture, media and sport committee on Tuesday, the minister for sport, gambling and civil society, Stuart Andrew, told MPs that the government had taken an “evidence-led” approach to reform. He also admitted, however, that there was a need for “much better” research on the effects of gambling and its harms.

“We have very much gone on the evidence [and] there’s little evidence that exposure to advertising alone causes people to enter into gambling harm,” Andrew said.