Fear over plan for Facebook 'casinos' that could lure children into online gambling

By Keith Gladdis

Facebook is being accused of luring children into gambling through plans to introduce real cash games.
The world’s biggest social network site wants to use Britain as a testing ground for games that would let users gamble on virtual fruit machines, bingo, poker and roulette.
It already allows members to play slot machine games and bingo using ‘virtual credits’ instead of real money.

Now Facebook is investigating ways of transforming that model into one that would offer real cash prizes.

Last night  critics expressed fears that the proposals will create a generation who believe that gambling is safe and fun.
More than 3million Facebook users in the UK are aged between 13 and 17. A further million are estimated to be under 13 but pretending to be older.

Dr Robert Lefever, founding director of the Promis Recovery Centre which treats addicts, said: ‘Introducing gambling to Facebook is a cynical way for the gambling industry to find new markets, making gambling look acceptable.
‘There will be young people who think these games have Facebook approval, that you can gamble and it’s fun. It’s not – gambling destroys families.’
Labour MP Louise Ellman said: ‘I’m very concerned about this move by Facebook and the impact it might have on children and other vulnerable people.

‘Children spend hours on Facebook and parents need to be confident that it is a safe environment.’
Lauri Moyle, of Christian Action Research Education (CARE), said: ‘Because there is a link between the age when people start gambling and the likelihood of developing a difficulty controlling their gambling, protecting children from the normalisation of gambling is vital.’
Professor Mark Griffiths, of Nottingham Trent University, added: ‘Even when no money changes hands, young children are learning the mechanics of gambling. These games can be a gateway to more serious gambling.’
Facebook, which is worth an estimated £64billion and is planning a possible flotation next year, is understood to have plans to offer eight licences to internet gaming companies to roll out their gambling applications on the British platform.

Talks between Facebook and around 20 senior gaming experts, operators and consultants including executives from PokerStars, 888 and Gamesys, were revealed by the industry magazine eGaming Review.

They began in the summer and continued with Facebook’s representative responsible for games and new partnerships over dinner in a Soho restaurant last week.
Last night Facebook refused to deny it was in negotiations with the gambling industry. A spokesman said: ‘We are always in discussions with companies about lots of different ideas, but we don’t comment on future plans or speculation.’
Gamesys and 888 are believed to be ‘first in the queue’ to win the Facebook licences that could be agreed early next year.
Gamesys, the company behind JackpotJoy, has a strong presence on Facebook, claiming 1.7million users for its virtual slot machine games, while 888 claims 650,000 monthly users for Bingo Island, a Facebook game using virtual credits.
James Bennett, editor of eGaming Review, said: ‘Facebook is looking for new revenue streams and the gambling industry is looking for new markets. There is still a lot of work needed to be done, not least what percentage of revenues gambling companies would have to give away to Facebook and the issue of age verification.’
The British Medical Association has warned that preventing underage gaming online is ‘difficult if not impossible’ because children can use parents’ credit cards.