Gambling businesses in the UK are under fire in the press after revelations surfaced that they exchanged data with Meta, the owner of Facebook, without players’ permission.
According to the publication, hundreds of online casinos and sports betting companies were exchanging monitoring data with the social media service, reportedly in violation of data protection regulations.
It claims that the activity was mostly carried out without authorization, which would be a violation of guidelines that allow data sharing for marketing reasons only with consumers’ explicit approval.
The Observer discovered that the data transmission was automated before its reporter could choose to consent or deny marketing. The reporter was “bombarded with Facebook ads for gambling websites” in the days after, implying that Meta had profiled them as a gambling enthusiast.
The Observer mentioned sites including Hollywoodbets, Sporting Index, Bwin, Lottoland, 10Bet, and Bet442.
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It claims that some firms were ignorant of the illegal data sharing. Meanwhile, Meta has argued that its terms and conditions stipulate that organizations must acquire consent before transferring data, adding that it takes measures to “educate advertisers on properly setting up business tools”.
Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative chair of the all-party parliamentary group on gambling reform, has called for “immediate intervention”. He told the Observer: “Using technologies like Meta Pixel without specific agreement appears to be a clear violation of the law and should be halted immediately. The gaming industry’s marketing methods have spiraled out of control, and its regulatory system and rules of behavior have consistently proven to be ineffective. “This cannot continue.”
After being approached by the newspaper, several gambling providers appear to have changed their websites to prevent automated data sharing – or removed the Meta Pixel entirely. A Bwin representative attributed the problem to a “internal error”.
The Observer discovered that Hollywoodbets, which sponsors Brentford in the Premier League, presented a banner noting that it shared data with “social media, advertising, and analytics partners” and allowed players to choose “allow all”. However, the publication stated that even if consumers do not consent, data is still shared with Meta.
In the instance of Lottoland, the newspaper said that data was transferred to Meta before consumers opted to either “accept all” or “reject nonessential” tracking.
The gaming Commission stated that operators may only gather and use data to attract customers in ways that are permissible and in accordance with data privacy regulations, and their primary focus should be on avoiding gaming damage. Data privacy concerns should be sent to the ICO [Information Commissioner’s Office].
According to the Betting and Gaming Council, advertising must adhere to rigorous criteria, and safer gaming information is broadcast on a frequent and prominent basis. The previous administration said that studies did not demonstrate a causal relationship between advertising exposure and the development of problem gambling.
According to the latest figures from the Gambling Commission, the gross yield (GGY) of British online gambling reached £1.54 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This is a 21% increase year on year and a 16.7% increase over the third quarter. The number of bets and spins increased by 8% year on year to a record 25.9 billion, despite a 3% reduction in active player accounts.
Online slots produced £709 million, up 15% year on year. The number of spins hit 23.9 billion, a 9% increase, while the average number of monthly active accounts climbed by 10%.
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