X Hit with €1.35 Million Fine for Gambling Ads

The online casino industry is making progress in strides which doesn’t just benefit player entertainment but also security. 

One of the biggest focuses on player protection is creating a safer environment that keeps vulnerable consumers and minors out of harm's way. 

Regulatory authorities are taking drastic measures to ensure that their codes of conduct are adhered to. This doesn’t just apply to online gaming operators but also to social platforms that step out of line. 

Recently, X.com was slapped with a €1.35 million fine for not complying with Italy’s gambling advertising code of conduct. 

 X Does Not Mark the Spot

X, formerly known as Twitter, was issued a €1.35 million fine by the Italian media ombudsman after failing to comply with the gambling advertising codes of conduct. 

The regulatory body Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM) was driven to take these measures against X after the platform violated gambling advertising regulations. The fine, announced during a press release, revealed that the social media platform breached Italy’s ban on gambling advertising as per Article 9 of the Dignity Decree. 

The regulator states that X was found guilty of nine violations committed across nine X accounts. To make matters worse, these accounts were verified and sported the blue check mark. X was fined as it failed to stop these accounts from continuously posting gambling advertisements that appealed to Italian users. 

X had the opportunity to block these accounts during a content review process but only chose to block seven. After this, the two remaining accounts continued posting content. 

According to Article 9 of the Dignity Decree, effective since 14 July 2018, any form of gambling advertising and sponsorship is banned. This means it’s illegal to post any form of gambling advertisement directly or indirectly on media. This spreads from print media to TV, radio, billboards and internet ads. The objective is to ensure user protection and safeguard against users falling victim to potentially harmful or misleading content. 

 AGCMO’s Active Approach To Indiscretions

This is not the first time AGCMO has fined someone for violating the code of conduct. The regulations were revised in June 2023 to keep them relevant to evolving technology. This meant social media platforms were included in the list of entities that should actively ensure the code of conduct is enforced. As part of their implementation plan, the AGCMO has been monitoring all platforms for gambling ad violations. 

In August 2022, Google was fined € 750,000 for showing gambling ads on its content creation platform, YouTube. In December 2023, Google was fined an additional € 2,250,000, and Twitch was fined €900,000 in punitive damages. Meta was hit the hardest, with a €5.85 million fine and a €750,000 fine for breaching the gambling ads ban via the Facebook and Instagram platforms. 

Other Italian media companies have also been scrutinised and fined heavily, with numbers that easily rival those handed out to these tech leaders.  

AGCOM is dedicated to counteracting gambling addiction by any means necessary to ensure a safe environment for online consumers.