Coral Accused of Targeting New Mothers
Leading gambling brand Coral has come under fire after dubious marketing strategies were uncovered. It has been alleged that the betting and gaming platform paid bloggers to recommend online casino games to new mothers. Parenting bloggers were paid to promote the brand and include links to its website in online posts.
Online gambling products such as slot and bingo games are more popular amongst women than sports betting.©Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
Breach of ASA Rules
Popular online gambling brand Coral is facing criticism following allegations of predatory marketing tactics. It has been reported that Coral made deals with parenting bloggers to entice new mothers to its gaming platform. Leading mental health and addiction experts have condemned its actions as targeting vulnerable people.
It has emerged that Coral paid parenting bloggers to embed links to its platform in online posts offering tips for new mothers. The posts offered advice for mothers on how to relieve the stress of caring for an infant, suggesting online gambling as an emotional outlet and an opportunity to win money.
One parenting blog described online roulette as an easy to learn game that “could provide some handy winnings”. Another post, on the topic of baby food recipes, contained the line “If as a mum you can’t leave the house, then why not consider bingo online? You can click here to play Bingo online at Coral – this momentary break from childcare can prove beneficial.”
The Advertising Standards Authority has strict rules regarding the claims that gambling advertisers can make. Its guidelines clearly state that gambling must not be presented as a solution to financial concerns. Neither should such ads be socially irresponsible, presenting gambling as a method to relieve loneliness or depression.
Three more parenting blogs were found to have posted parenting articles including segments recommending online casino and bingo products, with links to Coral’s website. According to a source familiar with the arrangements, Coral did pay the bloggers to post the links. The source, who has previously worked for a company responsible for similar affiliate deals with bloggers, claimed that Coral staff had read and signed off on the articles before they were published.
Attracting New Customers
Entain, which owns the Coral brand, stated that the links in question went online between 2014 and 2016. This was before it bought Ladbrokes Coral in 2018. It said that it would endeavor to take down the articles as soon as possible. Issuing a statement on the matter, a spokesperson for Entain told the Guardian:
“Neither Coral nor any Entain brand actively targets young mothers or any other potentially vulnerable group through the use of affiliate marketing. We do not make payments to any of the sites in the examples provided.”
However, Entain was unable to confirm or deny whether Coral had made payments to the parenting bloggers in the past. The operator added that it did not have the ability to prevent third parties from linking to its gaming sites. According to Entain, it did not gain any search engine benefits from the links.
The newspaper did not name the blogs in question, as their authors could not be reached for comment. Only one of the blog posts made it clear that the links included were part of an affiliate agreement. The Guardian’s source explained that the affiliate marketing arrangement aimed to manipulate Google’s search results by reinforcing the connection between women and online casino products.
Online casino and bingo games are generally more popular amongst women than sports betting. Historically, women have gambled less than men. The rise of online gambling has seen this pattern change, as operators have sought to expand their customer bases by targeting female players.
Concerns for Vulnerable Women
Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, was one of those that criticized Coral’s affiliate marketing strategy. She described the decision from operators to target new and single mothers as “cynical”, citing concerns for women who are at a particularly vulnerable stage of their lives.
New mothers may suffer from a broad range of issues including stress, sleep deprivation and postpartum depression. Anxieties over money and loneliness are also affecting factors. The NHS is investing more than ever in mental health support for new mothers.
Critics have hit out at the inclusion of gambling links in parenting blogs as “predatory behavior” from an industry that makes billions each year. Founder and director of the National Problem Gambling Clinic, Henrietta Bowden-Jones, elaborated on this point of view. She stated:
“The direct targeting of new mothers by embedding a bingo advert in a page about baby food recipes is deeply disturbing and should be called out. Gambling is not a way out of psychological distress and these embedded messages are taking advantage of people’s circumstances knowing they may be at home alone for far longer periods than ever experienced.”
Bowden-Jones added that consumers should be aware that blog posts including affiliate links to betting and gaming sites are gambling adverts. She said that while such marketing strategies may not be obvious some, they are encouraging people to take up gambling. As such, the careful placement and attention to the content of affiliate links are hugely important.
