Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government will bring forward legislative proposals to ban or regulate the use of gambling advertising on players' shirts at sporting events; and if he will make a statement.

Gambling advertising and sponsorship arrangements at sporting events must be socially responsible and must never be targeted at children. Depending on the nature of the sponsorship and how it is presented, Ofcom, the Advertising Standards Authority or the Gambling Commission could all take action if a breach was reported.

The gambling industry code for socially responsible advertising requires that operators’ logos must not appear on any commercial merchandising which is designed for children, including replica football shirts in children’s sizes. The Gambling Review consultation, which was published on 31 October, set out a package of initiatives from regulators, industry and broadcasters to strengthen protections around gambling advertising further. Government takes gambling related harm very seriously and is currently in the process of analysing responses from the consultation, which closed on 23 January. The Government response will be published in due course.