Great Britain is behind Europe in restricting betting advertisements, as highlighted in a GambleAware report following an increase in child gambling issues.

The report notes that Europe is taking stricter measures on gambling ads due to public health concerns.

In contrast, the UK's recent white paper on gambling, released by the previous government, did not address advertising.

GambleAware claims UK regulations are the most lenient among European nations, citing examples like Italy and Germany.

The charity calls for policy changes, including bans on broadcast ads before watershed hours and restrictions in sports and online.

Without these, GambleAware suggests mandatory health warnings on ads, despite the previous government's stance of insufficient evidence to impose new ad restrictions.

The University of Bristol found Premier League fans faced a 165% increase in gambling ads this season.

Dr. Raffaello Rossi, author of the report, emphasizes the political will's absence rather than lack of evidence for tighter controls.

An industry group, the Betting and Gaming Council, dismisses the report's findings.

The report follows data showing 85,000 children in the UK have significant gambling problems, with numbers doubling in a year.

The Guardian inquired about the government's stance, to which a spokesperson confirmed their commitment to strengthening gambling protections, with policy updates expected soon.