Australians seeking gambling addiction help being directed to betting sites
Players searching on Microsoft Bing directed to betting sites when searching for help online, leading to calls for further advertising regulation
Australians using Microsoft Bing to search for gambling addiction help were shown ads for sites such as PointsBet and Palmerbet.
Searches for “gambling treatment”, “gambling help”, and “gambling helpline” on Bing led to sponsored results from online betting sites.
These sponsored ads also appeared when some searched for treatment at a specific facility, which included St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Emma Hamilton, program manager of GambleAware South Eastern Sydney at St Vincent’s, said that it was harmful for these adverts to appear as those seeking help will more than likely use a search engine to search for treatment.
Hamilton said: “We know that our clients often present in times of crisis and this leaves them vulnerable to potentially not accessing the treatment they need.”
The Herald and The Age alerted Microsoft and PointsBet to these issues.
A PointsBet spokesperson told EGR: “PointsBet has become aware our advertisements have unintentionally been linked to select searches for gambling support through a search engine partner.
“While PointsBet do apply extensive filters to block key search terms, it became clear that select terms were bypassing this system. An internal review of our account shows that no one engaged with the advertisements through the searches.
“Nonetheless, we deeply regret that this has occurred and have taken steps with the search engine partner involved to rectify the situation.”
A Microsoft spokesperson said it takes user safety seriously and the ad for PointsBet has already been removed.
The spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, sometimes ads like this make it through our detection mechanisms.
“When we become aware of these instances, we take action to remove them as soon as possible.”
While the advert for PointsBet was removed, when people searched for “help” or “helpline”, it showed ads for other bettings sites such as Neds, Ladbrokes and Palmerbet.
Microsoft said that it would remove any inappropriate ads as soon as possible and then would “apply the feedback into our detection mechanisms to improve our ability to detect and remove similar ads in the future”.
Following this incident, the Liquor & Gaming regulator of NSW said it is reviewing the ads placement and would “be engaging with Microsoft directly to express these significant concerns”.
The regulator said: “The placement of this advertising is completely inappropriate, and it is concerning that gambling advertisements are being promoted to potentially vulnerable persons who are seeking help.”
This latest indiscretion has led to renewed calls for further regulation of online gambling advertising.
Charles Livingstone, associate professor at Monash University, said: “If you want to stop new recruits being drummed up by these operators, we need to think about where they are coming from and how they are being kept there.”
The government is also due to bring in a new set of regulations when the current ones expire next month, including banning enhanced odds and welcome offers.