A plan to "amplify the positive side of betting" via a handpicked group of customers has ended up in controversy.

In January, Ladbrokes owner Entain launched the Players’ Panel, which publishes short pro-gambling articles written by Entain customers, claiming it “gives a voice to the 99% of people in the UK who bet enjoyably, safely and responsibly – and often go unheard.”

While Entain’s involvement is disclosed on the Players’ Panel website, the company’s name initially did not feature on its Facebook page, which also does not show the Entain logo.

From The Guardian:

Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of the betting reform campaign group Clean Up Gambling, suggested the Players’ Panel risked giving a false appearance of being a grassroots initiative set up by members of the public.

“This is reminiscent of astroturfing campaigns that attempt to convey an image of a sector that’s quite distinct from the reality,” he said.

Crosby’s CT Group, which Entain said assisted with the Players’ Panel, has previously been exposed by the Guardian for its involvement in “astroturfing” campaigns on Facebook.

Staff members said they created websites and Facebook pages which appeared to be independent online news sources with names such as Why Electricity Matters, Reporting Yemen and Londoners for Transport, which could be used to distribute highly selective information on behalf of CT Group clients. CT Group did not comment at the time.

Entain said it directly managed the Players’ Panel and rejected the suggestion that the group bore the hallmarks of an astroturfing operation.

“The panel was organised by Entain, but the views of the panel are entirely their own and are expressed voluntarily,” the company said.
Since being contacted by the Guardian, the company has updated the Players’ Panel Facebook page to include a disclosure that it is an “Entain initiative”.

Entain added members of the group were asked whether they wanted to be involved and had to volunteer to join, receiving no payment or other benefit for doing so. CT Group did not return a request for comment.
The profile of one panel member, a man from Leeds, stated: “I’d like to think I was the voice of the normal customer.”

But his Facebook page revealed a list of “favourite quotes” containing a string of racist and homophobic slurs.

Entain said it had since removed the panel member, reducing its membership from five people to four.

A spokesperson for the company added: “The Players’ Panel was created to give a voice to the 99% of gamblers in the UK who bet enjoyably, safely and responsibly, and whose views on the gambling industry often go unheard in the current debate around its future.

“All members of the panel are unpaid volunteers who receive absolutely no beneficial treatment from Entain of any kind.”
Entain also denied misrepresenting the views of the public about the future of gambling regulation.
Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/society/...-players-panel