BGC Report Highlights Decline in UK Gambling Advertising Spend Amid Regulatory Challenges

Overview of the BGC Gambling Advertising Study

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) in the UK has released a comprehensive analysis examining trends in the gambling sector’s advertising expenditure. The study indicates a reduction in marketing investments among licensed gambling operators, largely influenced by new regulatory measures. This shift has raised concerns about increased vulnerability to unregulated black market operators.

Declining Investment in Gambling Advertising

The Gambling Advertising and Sponsorship Report 2025, prepared by Alvarez and Marsal for the BGC, reveals a consistent downtrend in marketing spending by licensed gambling companies. In 2023, gambling-related marketing accounted for 3% of all marketing outlays in the UK; however, this fell to 2.7% in 2024.

Between October 2023 and September 2024, regulated operators invested approximately GBP 1.15 billion in advertising efforts. The majority of this sum, around GBP 768 million, was spent on digital advertising platforms, while the remainder was allocated to broadcast advertising, predominantly television. Notably, television advertisements have seen the steepest decline, contributing significantly to the overall drop in gambling marketing expenses.

Excluding perimeter ads, overall gambling advertising expenditure has diminished with an average annual growth rate of -1.7%. Additionally, the sector contributed GBP 138 million towards sponsorship deals.

Collectively, advertising and sponsorship initiatives sustained close to 9,900 jobs and added an estimated GBP 506 million in indirect economic value.

Ongoing Threat from the Black Market

The reduction in marketing spend is partly attributed to cost-cutting stemming from mandatory safer gambling messaging requirements enforced by UK regulators. Currently, about 20% of gambling advertisements focus on promoting safer gambling as per regulatory guidelines.

In contrast, unregulated black market operators do not face these advertising restrictions. They continue to market their offerings aggressively without adhering to age restrictions or safer gambling standards.

The UK Gambling Commission has noted that some offshore platforms even advertise themselves as exempt from the UK’s self-exclusion rules, further complicating efforts to protect vulnerable players.

BGC’s Position on Potential Advertising Restrictions

Despite challenges, the report highlights positive outcomes from initiatives like Safer Gaming Week, which effectively encourage players to engage with safer gambling tools.

However, some advocacy groups advocate for a complete ban on gambling advertisements. The BGC and industry representatives oppose such prohibitions, warning that they would damage the licensed market and inadvertently boost the appeal of unregulated offshore operators.