EXCLUSIVE: The Mirror reveals what happened behind the scenes of Channel 4’s anti-gambling TV hoax – and the questions raised ahead of the show airing
Bradley Walsh has addressed the “shock” of his new Channel 4 gameshow being exposed as an anti-gambling hoax – as his The Chase co-star appeared to hint at discord between them over his choice to participate.
Walsh, 66, hosted show ‘Million Pound Shot’ on Sunday night, which initially appeared to be a gameshow in which contestants bet their own money. After contestant Reece lost £6,000 of his own money, Walsh revealed that it was all scripted and that they aimed to show the techniques used by gambling companies to get people to bet more.
During the show, host Walsh said that he felt “very strongly” about taking part. Afterwards, he admitted that the revelation about the gameshow might have been “a bit of a shock”.
“Thank you to everyone who tuned in to watch Million Pound Shot tonight,” he wrote on Instagram. “I know it was a bit of a shock at first, but this is a vital subject and that’s exactly why I wanted to do it.”
He added: “I hope everyone who watched is feeling okay, and has come away knowing a bit more about the techniques of the gambling industry.”
Something Walsh might not have wanted to read was the top comment on the post, liked by 1,446 people and read: “Best of luck going back to the chase! Sponsored by Gala bingo!”
Despite that, there were many comments of support from the public, with one writing: “Well done. A very powerful show. I said to my husband, I definitely don’t think Bradley would be involved in this kind of show. I was proven right.” While another commented: “My mum watched this and said Brad you are amazing for doing something so important. You and the crew and all who took part should be proud of yourselves and proud of the help the show will give to those who need it. Well done for showing a hard hitting show.”
But Walsh’s involvement in the programme, despite his links to Gala Bingo-sponsored The Chase, has not gone unnoticed by his co-stars.
Mark Labbett – aka The Beast – appeared to accuse Walsh of hypocrisy on Sunday night as he sat down to watch the Channel 4 show.
Tuning in, Labbett – who regularly features in ads for the betting company – commented flippantly on X: “Am wondering if it is going to pivot to an “evils of gambling” theme #millionpoundshot.”
After the gameshow was exposed as a hoax and it was revealed to viewers that its true nature was to reveal the concerning methods used by gambling companies, a viewer had commented: “Bradley Walsh hosts this big anti-gambling ad… and so tune into ITV to see him again tomorrow on the Chase sponsored by… whatever Bingo company sponsors it these days! #millionpoundshot.”
To which Labbett had replied: “Harsh but fair.”
An anti-gambling charity source told the Mirror : “It is completely wrong now for celebrities to be appearing in anything which supports or promotes the industry. It’s time for celebrities to recognise what it’s doing and not to engage in any support.”
Gala Bingo were investigated in 2017 and were found to have breached regulations which protect consumers. They were fined £2.3million by the Gambling Commission after the discovery of significant flaws in Gala’s dealings with two customers who gambled away around £1.3million of stolen money.
The Mirror has reached out to Gala Bingo, ITV, Mark Labbett and Bradley Walsh’s reps for comment.
It was a concerted push for Channel 4 to air Walsh’s anti-gambling TV hoax following opposition from gambling companies.
There was also the fear among those involved about the reaction it could provoke among those struggling with gambling addiction, and whether it could negatively affect anyone in recovery. Concern was further voiced that a rogue gambling advert could unironically pop up during the show’s ad breaks.
Over £1billion is spent on gambling advertising every year, which Channel 4 themselves contribute towards daily. So is it hypocritical for the government-owned channel to be airing a show criticising the gambling industry’s advertising, or is it a good first step?
Coalition to End Gambling Ads director Will Prochaska worked closely with the show and tells the Mirror that more needs to be done.
“I’m very glad that Channel 4 felt able to air the show,” he says. “I wish they’d go further and reject gambling advertising across their productions. Maybe this shows a willingness that they might move on. Let’s see.”
He adds: “There weren’t gambling ads on during the show, at least. I was slightly nervous that something might have cropped up during the show, but they were obviously alert to that.”
The show was filmed in front of an unknowing live studio audience, who seemed to go along with the gameshow and push for contestant Reece – an actor – to bet more of his money.
However, Prochaska says that elements of the audience reaction were cut out.
“By the end they were really vocal, and I don’t think it was included on the show,” he says. “The studio audience was crying out things like, ‘Hold on a minute, Channel 4 are going to show gambling ads doing this. It’s outrageous.’
“So that was fascinating to see an audience who wanted him to gamble more, and then by the end completely changed. So that was really powerful.”
Yet the real-life impact of gambling harm is an important topic and something that is rarely highlighted on TV.
Someone who regrets his part in how the gambling industry has evolved is Paddy Power co-founder and former CEO Stewart Kenny. Since resigning from the board in 2016, he has been a vocal critic of the gambling industry.
Kenny was due to take part in the show but was unable to do so due to his health. Speaking to the Mirror, he says he is “totally in favour” of gambling reform. “Now look, I have huge regrets about what I should have done more when I was there. I did resign from the board because they wouldn’t do enough about gambling, but I should have done a lot more.”
But he insists: “I am not anti-gambling. I’m pro-gambling, but I’m not pro sucking people into the most addictive forms of gambling.”
Explaining what he means by that, Kenny says: “Bookmakers are using sports betting as a Trojan horse to get people into online 24 hour online slot machines and online casinos, which are much more addictive.
“It’s like when you have a shandy as your first drink, and when you finish it, the barman says to you, ‘Would you like a triple strength brandy on the house?’ Because it’s taking people from the least addictive product, namely a win between Arsenal and Liverpool or whatever over a 90 minute period, to something high speed and highly addictive.”
In response to the programme, the Gambling Commission say they have implemented a wide range of consumer protections in recent years, including tightening rules on free bets. They say all operators are required to look out for and act on the warning signs of harm.
While a Betting and Gaming Council spokesperson said: “Our members operate in one of the most tightly regulated gambling markets in the world, with strict rules on advertising, customer protection, promotional offers and game design.
“These protections have been strengthened significantly in recent years. Practices such as losses disguised as wins have been banned for years, while operators are required to stop marketing to customers where strong signs of harm are identified.”
Entain, which owns Coral and Ladbrokes, say customers only receive promotional offers if they have opted in to marketing, and that it blocks marketing where it identifies safer gambling concerns, even if a customer has opted in. It strongly rejects any suggestion that Coral deliberately targets customers showing signs of gambling harm with free bets. They say all games on Ladbrokes are certified to the regulator’s technical standards, which ban games from celebrating a return less than or equal to the stake.
Evoke, owners of William Hill, say they strongly reject any suggestion that they disregard consumer protections to keep customers playing regardless of the potential risks. They say their approach to restricting marketing and take-up of new bonus offers is informed by the Gambling Commission’s requirements and their own assessment of indicators of gambling harm. They say they have invested in specialist teams to identify potential signs of gambling harm and take appropriate action, including stopping customers from gambling.
Flutter UKI, which owns Paddy Power & Sky Bet, say they operate in a legal, licenced and highly regulated market and they take their obligations incredibly seriously. They say advertising is a benefit of being part of a regulated market. They say like any other business, their brands offer promotions to attract customers and free bets are part of that offer.
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email _jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
*If you are struggling with a gambling addiction, advice and support can be found at GambleAware. If you need to talk, call The National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 for free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for free information, support and counselling.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
