In spite of its predecessor’s plans, current Prime Minister Gordon Brown has decided not to support the end of a gambling advertising ban, which would allow betting shops, online gambling sites and slot machine venues to advertise on radio and television. The end of the ban had been proposed by former Minister Tony Blair and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.

James Purnell, who has replaced Jowell, was the one to announce this change of policy together with the Prime Minister’s intentions to discard most of Blair’s plans to liberalize gambling in the UK. Church leaders had previously opposed said liberalization arguing that it would cause problem gambling.

“That was one of the concerns people have mentioned and one of the things that, as a new minister in this area, I will be going through methodically to see if the concerns are legitimate,” Purnell said about this matter. “It is important to have a thorough review of all the evidence.”

Culture Secretary Purnell further said that he would evaluate all the proposed changes concerning gambling legislation, with the permission of Primer Minister Brown to make any changes.