Gambling Ads Shown to Parents on Baby Monitor App, Raising Concerns
Ladbrokes gambling adverts were shown on an app designed for baby monitoring, prompting calls for tighter regulation of the gambling sector.
Gambling ads for Ladbrokes, owned by the gambling company Entain, have appeared on the YCC365 Plus smartphone app, which is marketed as a home baby monitor.
A user reported seeing a promotion for a £30 welcome bonus alongside the message 'take time to think,' a safer gambling initiative.
The app is primarily aimed at parents, including those using it to monitor babies.
Despite this, Entain maintains that the ad did not breach its guidelines because the app is not specifically targeted at under-18s.
This is not the first time an Entain brand has been linked to targeting new parents, as in 2023, its sister company Coral was accused of using blogs aimed at mothers to promote online casino games.
Campaigners are now calling for urgent reforms to gambling advertising regulations, with critics arguing that the current system is insufficient.
Don Foster, a peer in the UK, expressed concern over the lack of government action, while Will Prochaska from the Coalition to End Gambling Ads described the targeting of parents as a 'predatory tactic.' Entain stated that it follows compliance procedures to ensure ads are not directed at underage audiences.
The Guardian has also reached out to Apple and the makers of the YCC365 Plus app for comments.
A user reported seeing a promotion for a £30 welcome bonus alongside the message 'take time to think,' a safer gambling initiative.
The app is primarily aimed at parents, including those using it to monitor babies.
Despite this, Entain maintains that the ad did not breach its guidelines because the app is not specifically targeted at under-18s.
This is not the first time an Entain brand has been linked to targeting new parents, as in 2023, its sister company Coral was accused of using blogs aimed at mothers to promote online casino games.
Campaigners are now calling for urgent reforms to gambling advertising regulations, with critics arguing that the current system is insufficient.
Don Foster, a peer in the UK, expressed concern over the lack of government action, while Will Prochaska from the Coalition to End Gambling Ads described the targeting of parents as a 'predatory tactic.' Entain stated that it follows compliance procedures to ensure ads are not directed at underage audiences.
The Guardian has also reached out to Apple and the makers of the YCC365 Plus app for comments.