Online casino to withdraw TfL gambling ads after political backlash

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Online casino 888.com is set to withdraw some of its UK ads after facing accusations that its out-of-home posters on London’s TfL network appear to ‘trivialise’ gambling.

Described as ‘aggressive’ by the House of Lords group Peers for Gambling Reform, TfL’s decision to allow the ads to appear on its buses, trains and station platforms has even prompted a backlash against London mayor Sadiq Khan himself.

Despite Khan’s 2021 manifesto pledge to ban gambling ads on London’s transport network, TfL continues to accept them, pending an independent review into the links between advertising and gambling harm.

Some of the ads read ‘This carriage is now a casino’, or ‘This is bus is now a casino’, while some black cabs featured an ad asking passers by if they ‘Fancy a spin’.

With the London mayoral election taking place this Thursday (2 May), Khan’s main rival, Conservative Susan Hall, has called TfL’s decision to accept the gambling firm’s ads “baffling”.

“City Hall commissioned an independent review of existing research on harmful gambling to help develop understanding of this subject. Further policy work is under way and will be considered carefully by Sadiq if he is re-elected on 2 May,” a London Labour spokesperson said.

The transport network has come in for heavy criticism over its inconsistent approach. Just last month it forced comedian Ed Gamble to replace a hot dog with a cucumber in an out-of-home poster after it was said to promote ‘unhealthy eating’, yet it still accepts ads for bookmakers and online casinos.

According to The Guardian, gambling companies have shelled out close to £1.8 million to advertise across the transport network over the past two years, despite the fact that firms like 888.com have been held up by the government for repeatedly failing to protect their customers.

To date, more than 80 councils up and down the country have the decision to restrict gambling advertising in some form or another. TfL may follow suit once the independent review has concluded.

An 888.com spokesperson said: “We continuously listen to feedback regarding the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and acknowledge that, whilst fully compliant with all advertising regulations and standards, our latest campaign could be interpreted in a different manner to the brand position we aim for.

“As a result, we have decided to change the focus of this campaign and are withdrawing certain adverts that are currently running.”