Betting companies are sharing users’ data to Facebook behind their backs

Online bettors are being flooded with gambling ads as operators covertly share data without consent to Facebook parent company, Meta.

As reported by The Observer on Sunday, multiple gambling firms breached data protection laws by sharing user data with Meta and overwhelming them with ads.

The Observer’s investigation uncovered that out of 150 UK gambling companies, 52 were embedding a hidden tracking tool on their platforms.

Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative chair for Gambling Reform, said: “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.”

An analysis of network traffic revealed that sites like Bwin, Hollywoodbets, Lottoland, Sporting Index, 10Bet, and several smaller gambling brands were using the Meta Pixel tracking tool without user consent.

Meta Pixel is a piece of JavaScript code that keeps track of a user’s actions on a website. It allows Meta to send curated ads to users by tracking what pages they visit and products they browse through.

Concerns have been raised that this practice targets those at risk and encourages users to gamble irresponsibly, resulting in widespread repercussions against vulnerable people.

Professor Heather Wardle, gambling research specialist at Glasgow University, said: “This kind of untamed marketing is hugely risky. If you are already experiencing difficulties from gambling, it is likely to make you gamble more.”

The Observer reported that websites transferred data immediately upon loading, before asking users to accept or decline data sharing.

Testers received gambling ads from 49 brands, including those lawfully using the Meta Pixel tracking tool and unaware of the data sharing.

Samples from the study led to several Facebook gambling ads appearing on feeds, offering chances to “win up to 5,000 times your bet” to entice further playtime.

Wolfie Christl, data privacy expert, said: “Sharing data with Meta is highly problematic, even with consent, but doing so without explicit informed consent shows a blatant disregard for the law.

“Meta is complicit and must be held accountable. It benefits from facilitating problematic and unlawful data practices for its clients and systematically looks the other way, using its terms and conditions as a shield rather than seriously enforcing them.

Meta’s tracking habits have faced scrutiny before. An Australian study last year found that alcohol and gambling ads targeted vulnerable users on Facebook, where similar concerns were raised surrounding exploiting users at risk of developing an addiction.

Some sites have already taken action in response to these findings. A Bwin spokesperson stated that an “internal issue” caused the data sharing and that the company has “taken immediate action to rectify the issue.”

AG Communications gambling group had 26 websites sharing data with Meta, including examples like 666 Casino, 24 Spin, and King Casino. A spokesperson from the group stated to The Observer that it placed utmost importance on it’s responsibilities.

Operators such as Sporting Index and 10Bet have yet to comment on the matter.

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