In the midst of World Football days, the UKGC found itself in the awkward position of apologizing for an ill-advised tweet with cheering young children enjoying the celebration of football.
The tweet was posted on the eve of the match between the UK and France to protect players from companies not registered with the Sports Betting Authority.
Having only seen the photo and not the comments and link that came with it, one could certainly argue that the outcry that followed the tweet was exaggerated.
Gambling, minors in general, and of course children have nothing in common, so the protest and outcry that followed were absolutely justified.
The attempt to protect the players actually backfired as it put gambling and betting in the same equation with children while some people went as far as to interpret the said tweet as an open invitation to minors.
The UKGC responded immediately; they promptly deleted the photo but retained the text urging for safety through choosing licensed operators.
Below is the tweet without the controversial image, so as not to republish it, as well as the committee’s corresponding apologetic post:
A statement on our tweet published on Friday 9 December. pic.twitter.com/FaZUqfSCnT
— Gambling Commission (@GamRegGB) December 12, 2022
Source: https://igamingnext.com/news/gambling-commission-apologies/