UK gambling operators could face a total ban on advertising if certain anti-gambling members of parliament have their way.

On Wednesday, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Gambling Related Harm sent a letter to the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) regarding BGC members’ recent pledge to voluntarily suspend all TV and radio advertising for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter, signed by APPG chair Carolyn Harris, makes the rather extraordinary statement that the voluntary ad ban was an “acknowledgement” on the part of BGC chair Brigid Simmonds “that gambling advertising is harmful and something which must be restricted to protect people.” Harris claimed this “recognition” marked “an important milestone in this debate.”

Harris (pictured left) goes on to make a number of requests, including what evidence the BGC used to make its decision. The APPG wants to see quarterly data on the “take up of online gambling” compared to the previous quarter, both in the type of games played and whether VIP gambling stats mirror the larger market.