Calls are growing for a gambling ad ban in Australia, one of the country’s with the highest gambling rates in the world. Sportsbet added even more fuel to that flame this week thanks to a Snapchat filter.
children have accessed a filter on Snapchat themed around the sportsbook
According to a report by Guardian Australia, children have accessed a filter on Snapchat themed around the sportsbook. Filters include Sportsbet logos directing 18+ users to open a betting account. Another transforms the user into a racehorse with Sportbet signage on it.
Guardian claims that children are able to access the promotional filters, despite supposed efforts by Snapchat to prevent them from doing so. Although the content is age-gated, underage users can see the promotion on other people’s stories and can have it sent to them directly.
Snapchat claims that it reaches 80% of 13-24-year olds in Australia. In a comment, Snapchat said that it “makes available sophisticated targeting tools to advertisers to help enable their ads to reach the right audience.”
Meanwhile, Sportsbet said it takes “all reasonable steps” to ensure its content does not reach those under the legal gambling age. The company has not yet pulled its promotional filters from Snapchat despite the report.