‘Sneaky’ social media ads are luring young into gambling, say campaigners

Campaigners are urging for tougher regulations on gambling ads, especially deceptive ones on social media that target youth by incorporating popular culture references.

A study from Bristol University indicates a concerning trend where these ads, often disguised as content marketing, are not recognized as such by children, increasing the risk of them following gambling companies and potentially signing up to gamble legally at 18.

Dr. Raffaello Rossi highlights that youths struggle to identify these ads, which violates advertising rules requiring clear identification of marketing content. The study suggests the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) should either ban such content or insist that ads carry a clear label stating they are gambling promotions.

An alarming report found that major UK betting firms posted around 80 social media ads daily over eight months. Despite "age-gating", Ofcom research shows a significant number of underage social media users falsify age details, rendering these measures ineffective.

The study involved over 650 participants and revealed that young people could only accurately identify 43% of the ads as marketing, while adults recognized 65%. Participants were pre-informed about the definition of advertising.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith is concerned about the ineffective voluntary advertising codes and suggests a comprehensive ban on content marketing online to protect children.

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) insists their advertising adheres to strict guidelines, pointing out that more prevalent forms of youth gambling are arcades and fruit machines, not with BGC affiliates.

CAP maintains a strong stance on responsible gambling ads and pledges to ban any that target individuals under 18. They emphasize their dedication to protecting younger and vulnerable groups from advertising-induced harm.