The U.K. Gambling Commission got itself in hot water for posting a Tweet before England’s World Cup game against France on December 10. The Tweet promoted its online register that lists licensed companies where customers can place sports bets.
Unfortunately, the Tweet included a GIF of British soccer fans that included children, which was viewed thousands of times, thus mixing minors with an adult activity. The U.K. limits gambling to age 18 and above.
The Tweet was highly criticized, prompting the commission to apologize and delete the original post.
The commission also released a statement saying, “Throughout the World Cup we have been using social media to highlight how consumers can protect themselves when gambling online. In error one of those tweets featured a GIF of a child celebrating at a football game.” It added, “We realize this was an oversight and undermined an important consumer protection message. We apologize to anyone who may have been offended by unintended association and have now deleted the Tweet.”
Those who call for gambling regulation reform frequently point to the exposure of children to sports betting via marketing campaigns as a call for concern.
