BETS IN CLASS: Gambling regulators probe betting promotion at Pretoria preschool

A prize wheel does not look like a gambling advertisement. It looks like a game: bright, loud and harmless enough to make a classroom of preschoolers cheer. But when a wheel branded by World Sports Betting (WSB) appeared at Cornwall Hill College in Pretoria in July, it brought an adult gambling promotion into a preschool classroom.The wheel was part of WSB’s “Bet to the Beat” campaign, in which influencer Chad Jones surprises entrants at their homes or workplaces to compete for cash on a casino-style spinning wheel.On 20 July, Jones arrived at the preschool alongside a model dressed in showgirl-style attire. Video footage posted online shows young children clapping and cheering as their teacher spins the WSB-branded wheel and wins a reported R10,000. In another moment, she is rewarded with R2,000 after showing the pair that she uses the World Sports Betting app on her phone, and another R2,000 for dancing with the promotional team.World Sports Betting’s Bet to the Beat campaign was filmed at Cornwall Hill College’s preschool. An influencer brought a branded prize wheel into a classroom; children were filmed chanting “Spin, spin, spin”, as their teacher won R14,000. (Photo: X/Screengrab) The footage quickly circulated on social media, prompting a public backlash against Cornwall Hill College and WSB—and raising an uncomfortable question: how did an adult gambling promotion end up in front of young children?A mother with a child at the school, who was not present during the activation, told Daily Maverick she was shocked that gambling companies had become “so shameless” as to “soft-launch themselves into a school environment”.“South Africa is currently dealing with a gambling crisis, which is worsened by the aggressive marketing of gambling companies. This is completely unacceptable. Children are in school to learn, not be bombarded with such games,” said the mother, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her child’s identity.“It is like they are grooming children to be gambling addicts. We have to send a serious message to these companies by penalising them for this sort of behaviour.”‘Under investigation’The National Gambling Board (NGB) told Daily Maverick it had referred the matter to the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board and the Gauteng Gambling Board for investigation. Both provincial authorities acknowledged the referral and confirmed that probes were under way. The NGB said it considered the activity to be gambling advertising involving minors. It pointed to section 15(1)(b) of the National Gambling Act, which prohibits promotions intended to target or attract anyone under 18. It also cited regulation 3(1)(i) of the National Gambling Regulations, which restricts gambling ads in media or venues where children are likely to make up most of the audience. While the NGB noted that an adult-focused prize promotion was not automatically unlawful simply because it carried a gambling operator’s branding, it stressed that the decisive questions were what the campaign communicated, whom it addressed and how and where it was distributed.“Describing the campaign as an adult promotion does not itself establish compliance with section 15(1)(b) and regulation 3,” the board said.How the activation came aboutIn the days after the footage surfaced, the school, WSB and the production company offered different accounts of how the gambling-branded campaign came to be filmed inside a preschool.According to News24, Cornwall Hill College said the visit followed a staff member’s competition win. The principal knew a crew was coming to film a surprise tied to a radio-competition win, but was not told the prize involved WSB or that the visit was part of a promotional campaign.In an apology to parents, the school expressed regret that preschool pupils were exposed to promotional material associated with WSB. It said it was reviewing its internal processes to ensure external visitors, prizes and promotional activities were properly vetted before entering the school.Daily Maverick sent questions to Cornwall Hill College seeking clarity on who approved the visit, what information had been provided beforehand, and what steps had been taken to prevent a recurrence. The school had not responded by the time of publication.WSB responded on X, saying it was unaware that the segment would be filmed at a preschool. The company said the campaign was produced by an independent agency responsible for arranging and filming the visit.While WSB sought to distance itself from the choice of location, it accepted responsibility for content published under its brand. It described the episode as inappropriate, acknowledged that it had failed to meet expected standards, and said “gambling marketing has no place in classrooms”.WSB has since withdrawn from “Bet to the Beat” with immediate effect, removed the content from social media, promised to redirect remaining prize funds towards responsible-gambling initiatives, and pledged to strengthen its supplier-conduct requirements.Illustrative image: World Sports Betting’s Bet to the Beat campaign was filmed at Cornwall Hill College’s preschool. An influencer brought a branded prize wheel into a classroom; children were filmed chanting “Spin, spin, spin” as their teacher won R14,000. (Photo: X/Screengrab)Alan Ford Productions, the team behind the insert, offered a detailed account of the arrangements to Daily Maverick. Founder Alan Ford said “Bet to the Beat” was an independently produced entertainment insert created for the Expresso Morning Show and presenter Chad Jones’ social platforms. The campaign was intended to surprise “deserving adults” with cash prizes.Entries were managed through Expresso’s portal. Production staff then contacted winners’ relatives to arrange surprises in ordinary settings such as gyms, restaurants and beaches.In this case, the winner was a preschool teacher. Ford said arrangements were made through her next of kin, and that the school principal granted permission for the crew to film before leading them into the classroom. He said the crew had not intended to film with children present, but conceded that the decision to proceed was theirs.“Alan Ford Productions accepts responsibility for that production oversight,” he said.Ford added that the edited footage did not show children’s faces, no branded items or sweets were given to pupils, and the segment was never broadcast on SABC television. He acknowledged that the surprise should have been moved away from children, apologised for the oversight and committed to excluding children from future shoots.What does the law say?The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) confirmed it had received a complaint about the activation and was determining whether the content fell within its jurisdiction.ARB chief executive Gail Schimmel told Daily Maverick that the board first had to assess whether the material constituted advertising, a marketing event or editorial programming.“If we found the material to be advertising, it would trigger an investigation in terms of the Code,” Schimmel said, referring to clause 14 of section II and clause 3 of the Gambling Appendix. Clause 14 sets broad safeguards against exploiting children’s inexperience or exposing them to harm in an advertisement. Clause 3 specifically bars gambling promotions from targeting or featuring people under 18, or being placed where they will primarily reach them.Schimmel said the ARB’s mandate was limited to advertising content rather than setting rules for school visits, but that it could hold brands accountable for the actions of third-party agents.‘Extremely concerning’Asked whether a gambling brand, prize and campaign name appearing in a preschool setting warranted scrutiny, Schimmel said it “certainly would trigger an inquiry”.She described the fact that the activation proceeded without anyone raising red flags as “extremely concerning”. While executive leadership may understand the regulatory risks, Schimmel said that awareness did not always filter down to creative teams on the ground.“We have to see the creative teams being trained on the laws and codes,” she said.The NGB has developed proposed Norms and Standards for Gambling Advertising, which are before the National Gambling Policy Council for consideration. It said the proposals were intended to strengthen consumer protection and address emerging practices, including digital and social media promotions. The NGB’s position is clear: gambling-branded promotions involving preschool children are unacceptable. Whether that results in enforcement action, and who ultimately bears responsibility for allowing a betting promotion into a preschool classroom, remains to be seen. DM