Nearly four years after Sadiq Khan promised to remove gambling advertising from London’s transport network, betting and casino brands continue to dominate Tube stations, trains and platforms — and at significant cost. Across Khan’s three mayoral terms, gambling companies have spent more than £7.5 million advertising on the Underground, Overground, DLR, Elizabeth line, trams and at Victoria Coach Station. Compounding the problem is the apparent absence of any active government review into gambling advertising. Campaign groups and several London councils have questioned why City Hall needs to wait for national direction, pointing out that numerous English local authorities have already restricted gambling advertising on their own channels without legal challenges. An unresolved contradictionAs gambling advertising continues to expand across London’s transport network, the contrast between repeated political pledges and on-the-ground reality grows increasingly stark.

Source: The Guardian December 29, 2025 09:12 UTC