Australian children seeing gambling ads via Sportsbet filter on Snapchat

After being initially hesitant to advertise on Snapchat, which claims to reach 80% of 13-24-year-olds in Australia, Sportsbet created filters that can be imposed on people’s faces when they share images of themselves.

The filters include Sportsbet logos and direct 18+ users to open a gambling account. One transforms people into a racehorse with a Sportsbet-themed rosette. Another turns users into a presenter with a Sportsbet microphone.

Children are able to view these promotional filters when shared directly with them by friends who are 18+ or on other people’s stories. When the ads are seen by under-18 users, the link to Sportsbet’s website is disabled. They cannot access the filters themselves.