University students are ‘handing out £5 notes to their peers’ to encourage them to use betting apps after being recruited to promote gambling, report claims
- Investigation found students handing out £5 to get others to use gambling apps
- Understood agencies paid University of Manchester students to sign people up
- Gambling companies involved, Kwiff and BetBull, said they had no idea of tactics
Students at elite universities are being recruited to promote betting apps, it was claimed yesterday.
Undergraduates are handing out £5 notes to peers to get them to start using gambling apps, an investigation has found.
They have allegedly been recruited by marketing agencies to encourage other students to take advantage of ‘free bets’ and download the apps.
Students are handing out £5 notes to their peers in an attempt to get them signing up to gambling apps, an investigation has found (file picture)
The two gambling companies involved – Kwiff and BetBull – said they have no knowledge of the tactics used by the agencies which claim to work on their behalf.
It is understood that the agencies pay students at the University of Manchester up to £12 for each person they sign up.
Recruitment on campus is often carried out by sharing links on social media but some students employ face-to-face marketing.
One undergraduate, who did not want to be named, told investigators at The Observer that student promoters were giving out money and drinks to get her to sign up.
It is understood that the agencies pay students at the University of Manchester up to £12 for each person they sign up (file picture)
‘They were [giving out £5 notes] for your first bet and a drink to sign up [to the betting sites]; it was such a good offer I couldn’t say no,’ she said.
It is unclear if handing out cash or gifts is encouraged by the marketing agencies or if some students have taken the matter into their own hands.
One student promoter said little guidance was given: ‘The goal is to get people to download the app and make a bet… it’s pretty much up to us.’
The newspaper also found evidence of students in Birmingham, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield being hired as ‘brand ambassadors’ for football tipsters.
However, there is no evidence of them handing out cash to peers.
Eva Crossan Jory, vice-president of the National Union of Students, said yesterday: ‘[It is shocking] to hear that marketing agencies are recruiting students and using such deplorable tactics.’
Kwiff said it was unaware marketing affiliates claiming to work on its behalf were on campuses, adding it would not ‘support or encourage’ this technique.
BetBull said a flyer featuring its logo being given out at universities was unauthorised.
The University of Manchester said it had nothing to do with the gambling app jobs.