Online gambling operators have been told to ban games featuring characters designed to appeal to children , in a letter signed by UK regulators the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority . Experts have warned that the games , some of which are free , could result in children developing a gambling habit . The letter , sent on Friday to over 450 operators including Bet365 and William Hill , warned that sanctions were possible if companies failed to comply with the Code of Advertising Practice ’s social responsibility code . Approximately 450,000 children are believed to gamble each week in England and Wales .
Online gambling operators have been told to remove games featuring characters designed to appeal to children, in a letter signed by UK regulators the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority. Experts have warned that the games, some of which are free, could result in children developing a gambling habit. The letter, sent on Friday to over 450 operators including Bet365 and William Hill, warned that sanctions were possible if companies failed to comply with the Committee of Advertising Practice’s social responsibility code. Approximately 450,000 children are believed to gamble each week in England and Wales.