Campaigners urge crackdown after user claims they were stunned to find offers of free bets.
According to the Guardian, advertisements for bookmaker Ladbrokes were shown to “exhausted parents” using a smartphone app that can be used as a baby monitor.
Campaigners have responded by demanding for immediate action to amend the laws controlling gambling advertising, which have thus far been excluded from measures to overhaul regulation of the £11 billion-a-year industry.
One app user, who works for a group advocating for stricter gambling regulations, told the Guardian that they were surprised to see an advertising for Ladbrokes, which is controlled by the gaming giant Entain.
The advertisement promised a “£30 welcome bonus” before displaying the industry-wide phrase “take time to think,” which is designed to encourage safer gambling.
Entain stated that the advertisement did not violate its own criteria because the app was a “home monitoring camera” that was not aimed at those under the age of 18.
However, the Chinese-made program, YCC365 Plus, is frequently offered on popular online retail websites as a tool for use with home baby monitors.
The advertisement is not the first time an Entain brand has been accused of attempting to attract new parents.
The advertising promised a “£30 welcome bonus” before displaying the industry-wide phrase “take time to think,” which is intended to encourage responsible gambling.
Entain argued that the advertisement did not breach its own requirements because the app was a “home monitoring camera” that was not intended for those under the age of 18.
YCC365 Plus, a Chinese-made program, is commonly advertised on big online shopping websites as a tool for use with home baby monitors.
The advertising is not the first time an Entain brand has been accused of trying to entice new parents.
“There’s just no escape from these ads when they’re appearing somewhere as innocuous as this.”
Campaigners and a peer said the app suggested that the government crack down on gambling advertising more broadly.
The peer, Don Foster, stated: “The entire system of gambling advertisements in this country is now utterly out of control, demonstrating the inadequacies of government regulation and the self-regulatory organization that oversees it.
“Many other countries have significantly stricter regulations and tougher enforcement. Rather than vowing to assist gaming sector expansion, our government should do the same.
According to Will Prochaska of the Coalition to End Gambling Ads, targeting fatigued parents is a predatory approach used by the gambling business, which profits from the harm it does.
Urgent action is required to prevent the population from being assaulted with gambling advertisements at every turn. If the advertising are not halted, the harm to families and communities will only worsen.
A spokeswoman for Entain stated, “We have compliance systems in place to help ensure that our advertisements do not show on apps targeted at anyone under the age of 18. The app in question, YCC365 Plus, is a home surveillance camera system and hence not intended for use by children under the age of 18.”
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