Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioThe University of Bristol has released a new study showing that gambling ads reached near-record levels during the opening weekend of the 2025-2026 Premier League season, flouting the very standards the industry set for itself. The authors say the findings highlight the industry’s inability to regulate its own marketing practices.
As part of the study, from August 15 to August 18, researchers monitored live match broadcasts, Sky Sports News, TalkSport radio, and social media during which they recorded 27,440 gambling messages. While the number was down from last year’s total of 29,415, it was still almost three times higher than the 10,999 messages logged in 2023.
The results point to what the authors call “the continued pervasiveness of gambling marketing in football,” as operators compete for limited space and regulation fails to protect fans.
Reacting to the findings, project lead Dr. Raffaello Rossi said: “Year on year, the problem seems to get worse, despite the industry’s promises of better self-regulation.”
This report follows the release of a study in August on the prevalence of gambling ads during the NHL and NBA Finals, which found that viewers were exposed to gambling messaging once every 13 seconds during the Stanley Cup Final.
Self-Regulation Fails to Curb Exposure
One of the biggest takeaways from the study is that self-regulation isn’t doing enough to keep gambling ads off TV screens during live matches.
In fact, the analysis found that over 60% of gambling messages appeared during the industry’s so-called “whistle-to-whistle” ban, which is supposed to prohibit betting commercials from airing from five minutes before kickoff until five minutes after the final whistle.
The chair of the Gambling Reform All-Party Parliamentary Group, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, said: “This level of gambling advertising during the Premier League’s first weekend is frankly astonishing. The industry claimed it was taking steps to self-regulate and reduce advertising, but yet again, they have not kept to their word.”
According to the research, televised matches accounted for 21,815 gambling messages, with an average of 12.6 per minute during live play. The greatest exposure came during the Wolverhampton and Manchester City match, when 5,262 gambling messages were broadcast.
While the industry has set a target for 20% of its ads to carry harm-reduction messages, only 12% met that standard during the study period.
Meanwhile, unlicensed operators accounted for about one in 10 TV ads, in violation of the industry’s Sponsorship Code of Conduct. Given the pervasiveness of gambling ads, it’s no wonder that watching sports feels like sitting inside a sportsbook.
Unlicensed Brands & Loopholes Persist
Another problem the study identified was that unlicensed operators were slipping through the cracks, with 2,412 messages recorded from 13 brands that don’t have a UK license. A total of 12% of the gambling messages that aired on Sky Sports News promoted unlicensed companies.
Researchers also highlighted regulatory loopholes on social media, where 34 million views were generated during the four-day period of the study. The report also flagged the misuse of content marketing, explaining that: “42% of organic gambling ads on social media were not clearly identifiable as advertising, in breach of the CAP Code.”
The regulatory loophole, which was closed in September, allowed more than 30,000 gambling ads to get past regulators.
Calls for Government Action Grow
The study’s results prompted a new wave of criticism of the UK’s self-regulatory framework from lawmakers and campaigners.
In response to the findings, Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, said: “This research underlines the total inadequacy of gambling advertising regulation in this country. Peers for Gambling Reform has set out repeatedly that self-regulation does not work and this research underscores this.”
The study’s authors have called for the government to pass legislation to regulate gambling marketing, including a comprehensive whistle-to-whistle ban, mandatory responsible gambling messaging, and a prohibition on unlicensed sponsorships. The researchers concluded that “…the gambling industry is not capable of effectively regulating its own marketing practices.”
