09/01/2026
Actor and mental health advocate Christopher Eccleston and the Coalition To End Gambling Ads are calling on the Government to end all gambling promotions.
“I’ve obviously got an issue with it”
In the video, Christopher talks openly about his concerns around gambling advertising, especially because many of the TV shows and films he appears in are watched by children.
“My feelings were so strong I’ve obviously got an issue with it, and I’d like to dig into it.”
Gambling adverts are now everywhere. They appear on TV, online, across social media and on sports games. For many people, especially those trying to stop gambling, this constant exposure makes it much harder to stay in control.
Annie Ashton and the reality behind “free bets”
Christopher meets gambling reform campaigner Annie Ashton, whose husband Luke took his own life in 2021 as a result of a gambling disorder after being repeatedly targeted by gambling advertising.
Luke first started gambling in 2018 after being drawn in by free-bet offers. He managed to stop in 2019. During furlough, however, gambling companies began targeting him again with offers and promotions.
Within four months, Luke had taken out loans and hidden his struggles from his family. Gambling companies continued to send him inducements, including one the day before he went missing. Luke died by suicide in April 2021, aged 40.
Since Luke’s death, Annie has campaigned to stop free bets, bonuses and gambling advertising. She launched Luke’s Law, a petition calling for a ban on free bets, which gained more than 31,000 signatures in six months, forcing a response from the government.
How gambling ads are designed to keep people gambling
Christopher also visits ethical ad agency Don't Panic, where he speaks to Joel about how gambling advertising works.
Joel explains that gambling ads often use humour, celebrities and high-quality production to make gambling look fun and harmless. Once someone responds to an advert or offer, they can be pulled into a system designed to keep them gambling for as long as possible.
People are tracked by algorithms and shown targeted offers across apps, websites and social media, often through constant notifications on their phones.
Joel compares this to alcohol advertising, where strict rules apply. Alcohol adverts cannot suggest that drinking will make someone more popular, successful or happier. Gambling adverts, however, are still allowed to propagate these notions.
Using advertising to tell the truth
In the final part of the video, Christopher and Joel discuss creating an advert that copies the look and feel of gambling promotions, but tells the truth about gambling harm, including debt, distress and suicide.
It shows how powerful advertising can be, and how dangerous it is when it is left unchecked.
Why this matters
More than one million adults in the UK are affected by gambling problems, and every year hundreds of people die by suicide linked to gambling harm (Gambling Commission, 2023; Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, 2022).
Research shows that gambling advertising and free-bet offers increase gambling and make harm worse, particularly for people who are already struggling (Wardle et al., 2022; WHO, 2023).
What people are saying
Since the video was shared, many people have spoken about how gambling adverts have affected them.
People have commented on how gambling adverts follow them everywhere, even after they have tried to stop gambling. Many talk about how free bets and bonuses pulled them back in at their most vulnerable moments. Others describe how hard it is to watch sports or use social media without being reminded of gambling.
Some responses come from family members who recognise the patterns Christopher and Annie describe. Others are from people who say they had never thought about gambling advertising this way before, but now see how it encourages people to keep gambling for longer and spend more than they planned.
What stands out is how often people say the same thing: this feels familiar, and it feels wrong.
This sentiment reflects what research and lived experience have been saying for years. Gambling advertising does not just inform. It pressures and follows people, especially those already struggling.
Watch the video and take action
This video calls for real change.
Watch the full video featuring Christopher Eccleston, Annie Ashton and Don’t Panic, and see the advert they create together.
You can also write to your MP and urge them to support a ban on gambling advertising, free bets and promotions that push people to gamble beyond their limits.
