Thousands of Scots who gamble just for fun and occasionally for the chance to catch a lucky win may not be seeing ads for safe gambling sites soon. Currently, there’s an ongoing debate in the UK on whether the government should ban gambling ads. The primary argument supporting the advocacy to ban ads is consumer protection, as some sites are alleged not to represent gambling odds and expectations in their ads adequately.
While Scotland is working on several measures to protect the people and encourage responsible gambling, the UK is adopting stricter measures on operators and their marketing activities, which may significantly impact Scotland’s economy.
Gambling Ads Debate in the UK
The stance against gambling ads began officially in 2021 with the launch of the Coalition Against Gambling Ads (CAGA). The organisation was renamed The Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) in 2024, but did not gain significant momentum until January 2025, when Haringey Council became the first UK local authority to officially join the coalition. By the end of 2025, over 40 other councils had joined the coalition, signalling that a possible permanent ban on betting promotions may happen sooner than expected.
Many industry experts note that this dynamic can produce mixed outcomes, particularly because a significant share of popular gambling platforms used in the region operate under licences issued outside the local framework and are therefore not directly affected by these regulations. Using GamStop as an example, they explain that non GamStop picks often retain a notable share of the market due to differences in licensing regimes, which may allow a broader range of games, bonus structures, and promotional formats compared to locally regulated sites. From this perspective, further tightening of advertising rules could shift user attention rather than reduce overall demand, depending on how these regulatory boundaries evolve.
According to CEGA’s director, Will Prochaska, the involvement of UK councils is needed to push the objective to the government level, as it was time to stop allowing companies to profit from overselling or misinforming the general public. In the same vein, national health groups like the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) are pushing to ban gambling entirely, with pressure from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Individuals and small groups are also speaking out to push for a ban on gambling ads. Recently, British actor Christopher Eccleston featured in a Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) production called Stacking the Deck, a public service short film. The 61-year-old hoped the short film would push the government to enforce stricter regulations on gambling advertising.
Current State of Gambling Regulation in the UK
In the UK, gambling ads are allowed to target people over the age of 25 and must dedicate 20% of the advert to a responsible gambling message. As early as 2019, the UK government’s whistle-to-whistle restriction on television gambling ads helped limit exposure to adults and prevented gambling commercials from airing from five minutes before kick-off through to five minutes after the final whistle on live sports.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has also tightened sports betting promotions by compelling the Premier League, EFL, FA, and Women’s Super League to sign a code of conduct for gambling promotions in the 2024/25 season. The UKGC is likely to enforce the code of conduct for the upcoming seasons. For the 2026 season, leagues will phase out front-of-shirt betting sponsors, leaving only space for logos on sleeves or advertising boards.
Additionally, since May 2025, gambling companies are now required to comply with stricter marketing consent rules. Gambling operators must obtain permission for each product they intend to advertise before launching any marketing campaign. An additional statutory gambling levy was introduced in April 2025, requiring companies to pool funds for player safety when playing online.
Despite all the measures the UK government has set in place to regulate gambling and related marketing campaigns, organisations like CEGA are pushing for policies to ban gambling ads permanently.
How UK-level Changes Affect Scotland Locally
With mounting pressures on the UK to curb gambling ads, the era of gambling deregulation may be coming to an end. In the last few years, the UK has implemented several laws to regulate gambling and protect the people. As the second-largest country in the UK, Scotland has several gambling businesses. Glasgow, the country’s main economic hub, has more bookmakers than anywhere in the UK save for a few areas of London.
The Machine Zone is one of the local groups in Scotland that has been working to raise awareness of responsible gambling and set up campaigns for reforms to encourage safe gambling for all enthusiasts. Funded projects in organisations like the Glasgow Women’s Centre and Simon Community Scotland have also helped to provide help for people who want to gamble responsibly. The advocacy to end gambling ads may appear all positive, but it has not been without its drawbacks.
Many of Scotland’s businesses are centred around sportsbooks and casinos, making gambling a key source of economic empowerment in the country. Gambling ads aim to acquire new users, who ultimately grow the market and generate revenue, which in turn supports customer support staff, game developers, and managers. Even worse is the risk that this could ripple into a smaller turnout for local events like horse racing and affect small Scottish clubs that rely on funding from gambling platforms. Given the significant economic impact of horse racing in Scotland, a permanent ban on gambling advertising could force some clubs to close, leading to fewer race meetings and broader consequences for local communities.
At first glance, it seems like a total gambling ad ban is popular with the public, but survey data show this reflects only a minority view: 27% support the ban. Many stakeholders have since argued that it would be grossly unfair to make a decision of this magnitude in favour of a few, when the majority is content to keep the laws as they are, or, at best, tighten them. Currently, there is no research that establishes a causal link between exposure to advertising and an increase in individual gambling activity. Not to mention that, in recent years, gambling advertising budgets have declined, according to the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).
Conclusion
While concerns about gambling advertising merit attention, Scotland must carefully weigh consumer protection against economic realities. With only 27% public support for total bans and no proven link between ads and increased gambling, policymakers should prioritise evidence-based regulations over sweeping prohibitions. Strengthening existing safeguards while preserving the economic contributions of Scotland’s gambling sector offers a more balanced approach than blanket advertising bans that could harm local communities and businesses.
