Gambling ads could be a slightly more endangered species on UK Facebook feeds following a deal between the social media giant and the country’s gambling regulator.  

On Monday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced a partnership with Facebook to help UK residents limit the number of gambling come-ons they encounter while using the platform. Basically, it involves users ignoring their Qanon research long enough to bother investigating their content options via the site’s tools and settings.

The UKGC reached a similar understanding with Twitter in January, the specifics of which were equally apparent to any user who could be arsed to examine what tools were already at their disposal rather than simply moan about unwanted product pitches.

It’s worth remembering that the UKGC’s own surveys indicate that gamblers’ overall engagement with and susceptibility to social media marketing was already on the decline. However, there were increases in the impressionable 18-24 age demo, so perhaps less cynical types can see some actual merit in these ‘being seen to be doing something’ exercises.