Major UK gambling companies are using cartoon and cartoon characters to promote online betting games to children , according to an investigation by The Sunday Times . The companies are using a legal loophole that permits them to target children without breaching Gambling Commission regulations . Many of the games can be played free and without registration or age checks . Stakes range from 1p to £ ##5 . The characters and stories being used include Peter Pan , Jack and the Beanstalk and Moon Princess . An estimated 450,000 children gamble each week in England and Wales according to the Charity Commission .
Major UK gambling operators are using cartoon and storybook characters to promote online betting games to children, according to an investigation by The Sunday Times. The companies are using a legal loophole that permits them to target children without breaching Gambling Commission regulations. Many of the games can be played free and without registration or age checks. Stakes range from 1p to £600. The characters and stories being used include Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk and Moon Princess. An estimated 450,000 children gamble each week in England and Wales according to the Gambling Commission.