Report Shows Gambling Companies Spent £2 Billion on Advertising

British gambling companies stumped up over £2 billion on advertising and marketing last year, according to a new estimate published by media insights group WARC. It is thought the figure far surpasses the £1.2bn that the Treasury collected in the past 12 months from online casinos.

Bookmakers, slot machine companies, and online casinos spent the money on a mix of digital and print promotional activities. Some of this expenditure was also allocated to affiliate programmes where gamblers are pointed towards particular operators in exchange for a fee.

What did the figures show?

Other media industry groups have suggested that the gambling advertising spend could be much higher, as it can often be difficult to accurately measure the amount spent on marketing. It is implied that the true figure could exceed £2.5bn, eclipsing the amount the gambling industry contributes across the main betting duties.

Changes are afoot in the gambling industry, and the impact could be felt with shirt sponsorship. From the start of the 2026/27 season, Premier League clubs won’t be allowed to front betting sponsors on their shirts, and some clubs have had to be a little creative this term, most notably Nottingham Forest during a Europa League match against Real Betis in September.

An incredible sum

Labour MPs have been campaigning for tougher regulations for gambling companies. Alex Ballinger, a Labour MP, has advocated greater taxation on betting operators, and he suggested the advertising spend that has been reported was ‘astronomical’.

Some gambling figures have suggested that cutting back on advertising spend would negate the need to lay off employees in betting shops. Paddy Power, for example, has suggested it would close up to 57 shops across the UK, and BOYLE Sports claimed they would step in by providing job interviews for affected staff.

Budget apprehension setting in

With the Budget announcement to be made on Wednesday, apprehension is starting to kick in within gambling quarters. Gibraltar’s Gambling Commissioner Andrew Lyman suggested earlier this month that the UK could cope with a slight increase in Remote Gambling Duty (RGD), and there is a bit of wiggle room.

However, the potential rise from 21% to 50% has only exacerbated fears that more punters will be pushed towards black market operators. The other gambling duty proposals put forward have also been viewed as punitive. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under pressure to ease the financial pressure faced by the government, and she has suggested gambling companies should pay their ‘fair share’ in taxes.

‘Misleading claims’

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) took umbrage with the marketing figure. Instead, they were keen to suggest that the actual amount is much lower than what has been put forward.

A BGC spokesperson said: “These claims are misleading as the betting and gaming industry spend on advertising, excluding lotteries, is around £1bn, and has actually declined over recent years.

“Crucially, 20% of all broadcast and digital advertising is dedicated entirely to safer gambling messaging, a voluntary commitment made by the UK industry.

“Further tax rises would simply drive more consumers towards the growing black market that offers no age checks, no safer gambling tools and no tax contribution, while undermining advertising spend that differentiates the regulated market that supports over 11,000 jobs, contributes £506 million to the UK economy, and provides £138m a year to British sport through sponsorship.”