Petition to ban gambling ads on London transport surges in opening 24 hours
Gambling with Lives’ ‘Tell Transport for London: Stop bombarding us with gambling ads on public transport’ petition follows backlash of now withdrawn 888 campaign
The post Petition to ban gambling ads on London transport surges in opening 24 hours first appeared on EGR Intel.
An online petition calling for an end to gambling ads across Transport for London (TfL) has blown up within the first 24 hours, reaching over 9,000 signatures in less than a day of being live.
Gambling with Lives’ ‘Tell Transport for London: Stop bombarding us with gambling ads on public transport’ petition comes after several ads surfaced on the London Underground and at bus stops over the past few weeks.
888’s campaign, which featured phrases such as “Your bus is now a casino” and “Fancy a spin” on the side of black cabs, was met with alleged public criticism.
First reported by the Guardian, 888 agreed to withdraw the ad campaign last week following the backlash.
An 888 spokesperson told the publication: “We continuously listen to feedback regarding the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and acknowledge that, while 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.”
However, the petition was started nonetheless by the charity, which has continued to press for major gambling reform on behalf of bereaved families in the UK.
As stated in the petition, London mayor Sadiq Khan pledged in his 2021 manifesto to ban gambling ads on TfL.
But heading into the mayoral elections today, 2 May, three years after securing his seat once again after initially coming into the post in 2016, Khan has received criticism for allowing ads to appear.
The petition hit numerous milestones just hours after going live, including 1,000 signatures after an hour and amassing 5,000 after four hours.
At the time of writing, the petition had surpassed the 9,000 signature mark.
Gambling with Lives remarked in the petition that placing wagers isn’t a “harmless hobby” and that “studies show a clear link between seeing gambling ads and gambling more”.
The petition reads: “There’s outrage over ‘This bus is now a casino’ ads on TfL, which forced the gambling company to promise to withdraw them.
“Everyday thousands of children, people experiencing gambling addiction, those in recovery, and families bereaved by gambling, will have been forced to see them, when they were just trying to get from point A to B.
“We shouldn’t have to wait for companies to decide to take gambling ads down. TfL has shown they’re willing to turn down advertising cash before out of concern for commuters.
“We can show TfL and the London mayor that it’s time to take the damage done by gambling seriously. Right now, they mostly hear from the advertisers instead of us, the people the mayor and TfL are meant to serve.
“With a huge petition, we can show them that the backlash isn’t worth the money they might get from casinos and betting companies, and turn promises into action,” the petition concludes.
Back in March, the London Health Assembly called on Khan to honour his 2021 election pledge to impose a blanket ban on gambling advertising on TfL.
The incumbent Khan faces off against Conservative candidate Susan Hall today as Londoners head to the polls in an election battle that has been fraught with tension.
The post Petition to ban gambling ads on London transport surges in opening 24 hours first appeared on EGR Intel.
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