With events such as the Premier League and Grand National cancelled, gambling companies are heavily promoting obscure sporting competitions, computer-generated “virtual” sports and online casino games. Firms including 32Red are advertising on Twitter in a bid to win more custom for online casino games, which have much higher rates of addiction than sports betting. Gambling companies changed strategy after the cancellation of major sporting events, which has sent their share prices into freefall. Experts warned that people with a gambling disorder, many of whom will be cooped up at home during the coronavirus crisis, are prone to betting on events whose outcome they cannot possibly estimate. Rival Betfred has also been criticised for continuing to welcome customers into shops, potentially putting staff and gamblers at risk.

Source: The Guardian March 22, 2020 14:18 UTC