It’s universally accepted that gambling is a mainstay in our society, we can pretty much bet on anything now. So while it’s mainly associated with sport, you can put a bet down for pretty much anything, this includes; 'who will win this year’s British Bake-Off' or 'who’s the next no-name celebrity to get booted from the Big Brother house (why does that show still exist btw?)'. However just because gambling is mainstream and legal doesn’t mean you can promote it anywhere—and to anyone, there's rules and regulations to this s***.
Such is the case with two YouTube stars who have been charged for violating the UK’s Gambling Act via their respective channels. Youtube Star NepentheZ (Craig Douglas) and (the now defunct) FUTgalaxy owner Dylan Rigby have been accused of using their online profiles to 'push lotteries and "unlawful gambling"' in FIFA 16 matches, using the game’s in-game currency. Furthermore Douglas is accused of encouraging underage gambling (a violation of the UK's Gambling Act) by refusing to warn viewers that betting is only applicable to those aged 18 and over.
In a report form the BBC:
"The two men appeared at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. The case has been adjourned until 14 October.
It's worth pointing out that Douglas hasn’t been found guilty of anything, he's only been charged. Since then he's received a lot of support from fans of his popular YouTube channel and he's responded to the charges on Twitter, asking people to wait for the 'full story'.
According to Kotaku "Gambling with in-game currency has become a hot topic" recently, the issue came to light this year when it was revealed that two YouTubers (Thomas “ProSyndicate” Cassell and Trevor “TmarTn” Martin) had assets in gambling sites that they were promoting, a fact that they failed to disclose to their audience.
Kotaku’s report goes on to say that:
"The money changing hands over virtual items and in-game gambling is estimated at up to $7.4 billion. The black market for FIFA coins is pretty big, and derived from the series’ FIFA Ultimate Team mode where players buy different things from an in-game marketplace to bolster their side. It’s made EA a lot of money, but also led to a lot of legal grey areas when it comes to video games and gambling."
[Via Engadet]
