Australians Outraged After Kids See Betting Ads on Snapchat

Australian proponents of a ban on gambling ads have been outraged to learn that minors were able to see promotional Snapchat filters from Sportsbet. While the operator promised that it had taken all reasonable steps to ensure its content only reaches adults, some doubted that was the case.

Children Could See the Promotional Filters

As it turned out, promotional Sportsbet filters, including ones that turned users into racehorses or Sportbet presenters, appeared to minor Snapchat users. This highlighted an advertising vulnerability that empowered calls for a ban on betting ads in the wake of another recent accident involving the same operator.

Sportsbet, which had been initially hesitant to advertise on Snapchat because of its appeal among younger Australians, eventually launched the filters in question, which contained the brand’s logos and invited users to open gambling accounts.

As reported by The Guardian Australia, these filters could not be used by the children themselves but could be seen by them when shared by adult friends. While the link to Sportsbet’s website did not appear to minor users, many believe that the operator is still at fault.

To make matters worse, minors who have lied about their age when registering on Snapchat could have theoretically accessed the filters. As of the time of The Guardian’s report, the filters were still available on Snapchat.

Minors Are Being Bombarded with Gambling Ads

The Snapchat filters case came just a week after Sportsbet ads appeared on Spotify between Disney and Bluey songs. With Sportsbet having potentially exposed minors to gambling ads, politicians and public health experts reiterated their calls for a ban on gambling ads.

Such a ban was recommended by a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry a year and a half ago. However, Australian lawmakers have so far been reluctant to implement such a drastic measure in spite of activists’ arguments.

While both Snapchat and Sportsbet insisted that they have taken all reasonable measures to prevent minors from seeing or interacting with the filters, Australia Capital Territory independent senator David Pocock questioned whether that was the case.

Pocock was concerned to hear of these filters only a few days after he learned that minors on Spotify had been exposed to gambling ads. These concerns were echoed by Simone McCarthy, a research fellow at Deakin University, who believes that children are being bombarded with gambling content. She said that this stream of positive messaging around gambling carries significant risks and is “really troubling.”