UK regulators are serious about removing gambling ads that are aimed at children from online sites and have sent a letter to more than 450 operators warning of possible sanctions.
The letters came from regulatory bodies and ordered the online sites to “amend or remove” advertising which could be considered aimed at children. The list included sites offering paid and free-to-play games online.
“The use of particular colors, cartoon and comic book images, child and youth-orientated references and names of games such as ‘Piggy Payout,’ ‘Fluffy Favorites,’ ‘Pirate Princess’ and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ are likely to enhance appeal to under-18s,” the joint letter read.
The move was in response to a recent Sunday Times investigation that found many sites are luring in underage gamblers with games bearing such images and themes. According to the Sunday Times the Gambling Commission has found that approximately 450,000 children gamble in England and Wales every week.
The paper charged that the images breached UK advertising codes set by CAP with regards to child protections relating to gambling services.
The letters were sent by the UK Gambling Commission, alongside the Committee of Advertising Practice, Advertising Standards Authority and Remote Gambling Association.
“You must immediately amend or remove any freely accessible ads on your website or in third party media space that are likely to appeal particularly to under-18s,” the letter read. “This includes affiliate ads that promote your company and its products.
“We appreciate that there may be difficult and nuanced decisions to be made, particularly in cases where imagery and characters, which might have appeal to both children and adults is used,” the letter continued. “If gambling operators cannot or will not bring their advertising into line with the law, the CAP Compliance team has various sanctions available to it and will consider applying these if we continue to see gambling ads that have particular appeal to under-18s.”
Specific penalties were not named in the letter.
“Companies need to acknowledge the harm they are doing by cynically targeting children online and remove these games, many of which can be played for ‘fun’ and without age verification, from their sites,” UK shadow secretary Tom Watson told the newspaper. “This loophole is ruthlessly exploited and it’s one that urgently needs closing.”
