The Betting Commission, the Advertising Practices Committee, and two other UK official bodies have ordered the closure of 450 websites of online casinos for children that encourage betting for minors.
Although it seems incredible, known bookmakers have developed apps with a childish tone between drawings of Peter Pan, chips of pink hippos or tender unicorns, but what they actually offer are slot machines, roulette and other typical casino machines for children.
Here they play making real bets (no real money, but bets after all), as seen in the picture, it´s available with a button to place bets and money raised on a slot machine with adorable cartoons. (READ SO: BOOKMAKERS. IRISH PUBS WORK UNDER ILLEGALITY FRAME MARK)
These online casinos for children take advantage of a legal vacuum of British law, which allows these types of games do not carry a rating for those over 18, not playing with real money. But its childish design clearly shows the intention to accustom children to gambling since childhood, with the goal that older people become real money gamblers.
The order to close the 450 websites with online casinos for children has come after an investigation by the newspaper of The Sunday Times, which found that major British bookmakers offered online casinos with characters such as Peter Pan or Princess Luna, where children could play without money and without age verification, although they also accepted bets of up to 600 pounds with real money.
According to the UK Gambling Commission itself, more than 450,000 children in England and Wales bet each week, a figure higher than those who smoke or take drugs.
