Gambling in the UK is an ever growing problem.
Online advertising for gambling is becoming more frequent.
According to the BBC the UK has the largest online gambling network.
We decided to do some tests, 10 minutes after signing up to a gambling app and then deleting it, we see 888Casino adverts in our Facebook newsfeed, tell me that’s not targeted, considering I’ve never gambled in my life.
Note the instant offer of “£88 free, just for registering” that could be considered a decent amount of money to a young person, myself 22 would take £88 any day, it’s a tempting offer that can tempt vulnerable or previously addicted people, Facebook is allowing it, all adverts are reviewed and this is deemed acceptable by the media giants standard.
A quick search showed the average PayPerClick cost is $1.72 or £1.38 (April 28th 2020)
This advert alone has potentially generated Facebook over 2 million pounds in advert revenue.
There are no checks to see if it’s appropriate to advertise to people meaning Facebook could be serving targeted ads to gambling addicts, and people who are trying to change there life and get away from a gambling problem, it’s like smoking, say I’m trying to quit and someone is putting a pack of smokes in front of me for free, would you say no?
We also took a look through Facebook settings, it’s impossible to block gambling adverts.
Adverts for gambling can be seen all over the internet, from Facebook and other social media sites to Google search results and even the Google play store, none with any checks to see if a person is at risk of having their life ruined by these profiteering services.
All services are required to display gambling advice and help, but is that enough, are big brands destroying lives for their Pay Per Click advert revenue when they really don’t need it.
Have you got something to add to this story? Email us on admin@takethreemedia.com. Got a problem with gambling, send us an email about it, we will try our best to recommend the best help for you.
https://www.begambleaware.org/
