War on betting companies that target children
GAMBLING firms that have adverts targeting children will face unlimited fines in a new crackdown.
From October, the Gambling Commission will broaden its remit in an attempt to curb rogue firms that glamorise gambling in their adverts.
It means companies such as Coral – which in June was found to have breached rules over three adverts that appealed to children – will face harsher penalties.
The changes come amid mounting concern that wall-to-wall gambling adverts on TV are normalising it for children. Around 450,000 children are gambling every week in England and Wales, research by the Gambling Commission found.
Under the new rules, operators will also face action for sending spam emails or texts, and will have an eight-week deadline to resolve customer complaints.
The watchdog said the changes would make it quicker and easier to take action over breaches such as misleading promotions and bonus offers, as well as unreasonable restrictions on withdrawals of winnings.
Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur said: ‘Protecting the interests of consumers is priority for us.
‘These changes will protect consumers from irresponsible advertising and misleading promotions, ensure that consumers can withdraw their money more easily and will mean that Appealing: The Coral game consumer complaints are dealt with more swiftly.’
In June, the Advertising Standards Authority banned adverts for three games on Coral’s website for breaching rules.
It said the animated figures, bright colours and motifs from children’s fiction meant the promotions for Rainbow Riches – which included a leprechaun – Fishin’ Frenzy and Lucky Wizard ‘were likely to be of particular appeal to under-18s’.
In the same month, adverts for the games Faeries’ Fortune and Santa Paws, featuring a polar bear in a Santa hat, on gambling websites fun88.co.uk and letou.co.uk were found to appeal to children.
However, under the existing rules fines are not issued for such breaches, and the firms were simply told the adverts ‘should not appear again in their current form’.
A report by the Gambling Commission in 2016 revealed 6 per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds had gambled online using their parents’ account.
Three per cent had also made bets online using their own money. And last year research showed the biggest gambling operators were targeting children with their favourite cartoon and storybook characters.
In response, the ASA and other bodies sent a letter to 450 gambling operators telling them to stop using adverts likely to appeal to under-18s.
Last night Marc Etches, chief executive of the charity GambleAware, said: ‘ These changes are absolutely a necessary step to help protect children from the risks of gambling.
‘With 25,000 problem gamblers aged between 11 to 16, it is essential that we make the appropriate changes to better protect young people.’
Tory peer Lord Chadlington, a former chairman of Action on Addiction, said: ‘Strengthening regulation around UK gambling advertising policy is positive in protecting those at risk of gambling-related harm.’