UKGC apologises for Twitter GIF gaffe “oversight”
Regulator tweeted a GIF of a child celebrating at a football game on Friday 9 December to much online furore
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has apologised for tweeting a GIF of a child celebrating at a football game stating it was an “oversight” in an embarrassing mistake for the regulator.
Posted ahead of England’s crunch World Cup quarter-final clash with France, the tweet directed viewers to its online register and advocated bettors placing bets with licenced operators to “protect” themselves.
Alongside this message, the tweet included a GIF that had a child wearing England facepaint featuring prominently. Over 20,000 people viewed the tweet before being deleted by the regulator.
A UKGC statement issued in response stated: “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.
“We realise this was an oversight and undermined an important consumer protection message. We apologise to anyone who may have been offended by unintended association and have now deleted the tweet.”
The tweet heaped unneeded pressure on the regulator, which is already in the crosshairs for its relationship with the industry and its approach to customers protection.
The error also comes after the regulator made appealing to children a red line its in regulatory approach, having previously fined Betway £408,915.
The watchdog found the operator’s image on the children’s section of the West Ham United Football Club website between 14 April 2020 and 6 November 2021.
The investigators found that the logo featured on a page with an image of a teddy bear for children to print out and colour.