Following an announcement by the Department for Science, Industry and Technology, the UK government will look to ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

The move has sparked serious debates around child protection, civil liberties and the role these platforms play in facilitating illegal gambling operators. 

Speaking on the iGaming Daily Podcast, host Charlie Horner sits down with SBC News Editor Ted Orme-Claye and Business Journalist Patrick Killeen to discuss the ban, the reasons behind it and what it means for the wider iGaming community.

The Ban

Following in the footsteps of a similar policy enacted by Australia last year, the UK version of the ban looks to achieve something similar by using age-verification technology, which has already been rolled out in the UK following last December’s Online Safety Act.

Recently, the Australian ban has been met with criticism as evidence suggests the majority of Australian teens are finding ways to circumvent the ban altogether, reigniting decades old conversations around prohibition and the perceived encroachment of civil liberties in the name of safety.

“I’m a bit on the fence myself on the topic,” Orme-Claye said, “There are some concerns about how you can balance protecting young people with civil liberties”.

Beyond this, the ban looks to have immediate impact on the iGaming industry.  

Orme-Claye notes that a significant portion of complaints made to the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and relating to gambling have involved social media posts that feature prominent sporting stars and major clubs – something those raising the concerns have said appeals to younger audiences.

Under ASA guidelines, gambling adverts cannot feature individuals thought to directly appeal to young people. This could include anyone from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, to former Arsenal star Thierry Henry. 

Should the ban materialise, it could see this point of friction between gambling operators and the ASA removed as social media spaces become, by default, adult only.

The Black Market

Killeen then makes an interesting point. 

Beyond typical ASA friction, social media platforms have in recent years become hotbeds for illegal gambling operators who want to advertise their services.

“To me, it’s absolutely rife. It’s everywhere,” Killeen said, pointing specifically to AI-generated deep fake videos on TikTok that feature minors winning big on black market gambling sites. This type of content carries the added danger of being un-reportable to the ASA, meaning more often than not, these types of adverts remain online for millions to see. 

Beyond this, unregulated operators have also become increasingly reliant on influencer partnerships. These are often undisclosed and target creators whose content appeals to younger audiences.

Another way black market operators use social media to target minors is through sponsored streaming arrangements. Influencers are paid to play on unlicensed sites in front of large audiences with enhanced winning odds, or with money given to them directly from the unregulated operator. Again, these deals are often undisclosed.

Stake was highlighted as a good example of this approach. The operator ultimately surrendered its UK licence in early 2025 following controversy when its branding appeared on inappropriate content.

A Race To The Bottom

Both Orme-Claye and Killeen agreed that the ban highlights deeper, structural issues with social media. These platforms want to keep users engaged for as long as possible. This has created an ecosystem that rewards extreme, attention-grabbing content regardless of whether it’s real or not. 

Black market operators understand this, and free of ASA guidelines, have built content systems that thrive, while regulated operators struggle. 

Attempts to pressure platforms like Meta into enforcing bans on unlicensed operator content have so far yielded little, with Killeen pointing out that these platforms can simply outspend and outlast enforcement efforts, “they’re still making money from it,” he said.

The question remains.

Will removing under-16s from these platforms meaningfully reduce their exposure to illegal gambling content? Or will black market operators do what they’ve always done and adapt.

Watch the full episode here.