Despite a firm stance on anti-gambling, TikTok is allowing Sportsbet to promote their gambling service on the platform. 

A spokesperson for the company has described the move as a “strictly controlled advertising pilot,” that only targets those over 21 years of age. 

Regardless, considering accounts with incorrect ages, knowing whether these advertisements would reach those under 21 would be difficult to monitor. 

The social media giant’s advertising policy states that “ads coming from a gambling brand or featuring gambling branding” were prohibited.

However, it also goes on to explain that “a closed pilot for sports betting is currently in operation for one managed client who has obtained permission from TikTok via an application process. 

The campaign from Sportsbet is especially being criticised for its deceptive tactic to come across as a viral video, rather than an obvious advertisement for gambling. 

The advertisements feature young men or women in humorous clips promoting gambling in a way that mimics the common format of videos on the platform. 

Professor Samantha Thomas explained via ABC, that TikTok “is really appealing and engaging for young people,” and that this form of advertisement had “a significant impact on the normalisation of gambling.”

“There are some regulations that are very much focused on television-based advertising, but we know that social media platforms are perhaps most of the media viewing of young people.”

Dr Nic Carah of the University of Queensland labelled TikTok’s move as “harmful.”

“I think they’re trying to just figure out what categories of advertising are worth the trouble,” she explains. “So that they make enough money off them, but don’t face too much kind of heat from the public or regulators.”

“And I think they’re going to bring many of these harmful advertisers into the stable to test them out and see if it turns out to be a relationship that benefits TikTok.”