Calls for intervention amid controversy over gambling operators’ data sharing with Facebook
A British newspaper has alleged that many gambling sites breached data rules.
UK.- Gambling operators in the UK are facing controversy in the press amid reports that operators shared data with Meta, the owner of Facebook, without players’ consent. A newspaper says it found that dozens of online casino and sports betting sites were sharing tracking data with the social media provider, allegedly in breach of data protection rules.
The Observer claims that it tested 150 gambling sites and found widespread use of Meta Pixels to log players’ visits and the buttons they clicked and share this information with Meta. It says that the practice was largely conducted without consent, which would be a breach of rules that allow the sharing of data for marketing purposes only with specific permission from users.
The Observer said it found the data transfer was automatic before its reporter could click to agree or decline marketing. In the following days, the reporter was “bombarded with Facebook ads for gambling websites”, suggesting that Meta had profiled them as a person interested in gambling.
The Observer named sites such as Hollywoodbets, Sporting Index, Bwin, Lottoland, 10Bet and Bet442. It says that some companies were unaware of the unlawful data sharing. Meanwhile, Meta has insisted that its terms and conditions state that companies should obtain consent before sending data, claiming that it takes steps to “educate advertisers on properly setting up business tools”.
Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative chair of the all-party parliamentary group on gambling reform, called for “immediate intervention”. He told the Observer: “The use of tools such as Meta Pixel without explicit consent seems wholly in breach of the law and should be immediately stopped. The gambling industry’s marketing practices are now out of control, and our regulatory structure and codes of practice are repeatedly shown to be inadequate. This cannot go on.”
After being contacted by the newspaper, some gambling operators appear to have updated their websites to prevent automatic data sharing – or to remove the Meta Pixel completely. A Bwin spokesperson blamed an “internal error”.
The Observer found that Hollywoodbets, which sponsors Brentford in the Premier League, displayed a banner stating that it shared data with “social media, advertising and analytics partners” and allowing players to click “allow all”. But the newspaper said that even if the users do not accept, data is still shared with Meta. In the case of Lottoland, the newspaper said data was sent to Meta before users clicked to choose whether to accept “accept all” or “reject nonessential” tracking.
The Gambling Commission said: “Operators may only collect and use data to attract custom in ways that are lawful and in compliance with data protection legislation, and their focus should be on preventing gambling harm. Questions around data protection are a matter for the ICO [Information Commissioner’s Office].”
The Betting and Gaming Council said in a statement: “Advertising must comply with strict guidelines, and safer gambling messaging is regularly and prominently displayed. The previous government stated that research did not establish a causal link between exposure to advertising and the development of problem gambling.”
The Gambling Commission’s latest data shows that British online gambling gross yield (GGY) reached £1.54bn in the final quarter of 2024. That’s a rise of 21 per cent year-on-year and 16.7 per cent from the third quarter. The number of bets and spins rose by 8 per cent year-on-year to a record 25.9 billion despite a 3 per cent drop in the number of active player accounts.
Online slots generated £709m, a rise of 15 per cent year-on-year. The number of spins reached 23.9 billion, a rise of 9 per cent, and the average number of monthly active accounts increased by 10 per cent.
