UK MP Chris Evans urges action on minors seeing gambling ads

Caerphilly Member of Parliament, Chris Evans, has voiced strong opposition to children being exposed to gambling advertisements on a regular basis.

Evans emphasised the prevalence of gambling promotions on TV, streaming services, newspapers, and even on racing liveries and sports uniforms during a recent speech to Members of Parliament in Westminster Hall.

He raised concerns about the impact of betting on young audiences by pointing out how this continuous exposure successfully normalises it as a part of enjoying sports.

Evans emphasised that although current advertising laws forbid directly targeting children, they do not shield kids and teens from adult-targeted gambling advertisements.

Only 4% of youths between the ages of 11 and 24 said they had not seen gambling ads in the previous month, according to GambleAware, demonstrating how these messages have intertwined with young people’s culture.

Evans emphasised that the new regulations are merely a first step toward more extensive changes that are required to better protect children from advertisements for gambling.

“My children, like many others, are into sports. They look up to these athletes as heroes, something many parents encourage. But when these role models appear alongside headlines like ‘free £2 shop bet’ or the logos of major bookmakers, it creates a troubling association,” he said.

He advocated for a more thorough strategy to safeguard children from the negative effects of gambling advertisements and treat their exposure as a public health concern.

In the UK, the issue is still of great concern because more than a million people are currently harmed by gambling, and families are still dealing with the fallout from gambling addiction.

Evans works to lessen the effects of such advertising and encourage safer gambling environments as a member of the all-party parliamentary group on gambling reform.

Chris Evans MP points out that even though there are safeguards in place, children’s continuous exposure to gambling advertisements is a serious problem that calls for additional legislative and regulatory action to stop the early normalization of gambling culture among young people.