London Mayor Still Yet To Implement TFL Gambling Ad Ban

Sadiq Khan has yet to make headway in his attempt to ban gambling adverts across the Transport for London (TfL) underground network, according to reports. The Mayor of London has repeatedly been urged to honour his 2021 election manifesto to scrap ads, but things have hit an impasse.

It has been suggested that a full review has yet to take place, despite being on Khan’s agenda. Instead, it is claimed there has been a lack of guidance on the matter from the government on the links between gambling ads and problem betting.

Gambling companies calling the shots

Over the past few years, gambling companies have continued to dominate the ad landscape underground. Apart from a proliferation in the number of campaigns, which hit 223 in 2025, over £4.6 million has been spent on ads since Khan made his original election promise.

The number of campaigns run this year was more than double compared to the previous 12 months. Some companies, including 888, faced a backlash for the tone they struck, but Khan has yet to gain control of the matter.

What was said in the 2021 election manifesto?

Khan was unambiguous in his 2021 manifesto about scrapping gambling ads on TfL. Initially, he clamped down on fast food ads, but he wanted to extend the ban to make it more of a blanket one to cover online casinos and bookies.

At the time, he said:

“I’ve already banned body-shaming advertisements and advertisements for foods high in fat, salt and sugar on the TfL network because of their impact on the health of Londoners.

“Given the devastating way gambling addiction can destroy lives and families, I’ll instruct TfL to bring forward plans to extend the ban to harmful gambling advertisements on the network.”

Sadiq Khan keeping tight-lipped

So far, Khan hasn’t come out and explained why a desire to remove gambling ads has stalled. Instead, Khan has been criticised for dithering, insisting he must take action now.

Nick Harvey, a spokesperson for the Coalition to End Gambling Ads, said:

“Sadiq Khan must do the right thing and honour his 2021 pledge to end gambling ads on TfL.

“It makes no sense to wait for national guidance; dozens of English councils have already banned gambling ads on their channels without legal challenges, and every day of delay means more London families destroyed by gambling.”

Councils pushing for resolution

Earlier this month, it was revealed that five more London councils had joined the battle to remove gambling ads on the TfL network - Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Hackney, and Lewisham.

The pressure on Khan has been mounting, especially with statistics published by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) revealing the undesired effect that gambling ads were having on the younger generation. Indeed, it was noted that almost half of 11-17-year-olds in the UK have experienced gambling in some form in the past year.

A spokesperson for Khan said:

“The government is looking at the best way to address harmful gambling, including understanding the impact of advertising, and the mayor will consider what action he can take once that review is complete.”

Whether Khan can find a breakthrough in 2026 and quash his critics remains to be seen. However, you can be sure that anti-gambling ad campaigners won’t throw in the towel.