Corals spamming #bhafc on Twitter

For those that follow the very useful #bhafc tag on Twitter its become virtually unusuable in the past 48 hours due to persistent and constant spamming by multiple betting accounts pushing a promotional offer for Corals.

This is a particularly irksome issue caused not directly by Corals themselves but by Coral's affiliates programme, where in return for marketing their offers you receive a percentage of the click through revenue if users are persuaded to sign up, share their data and create new accounts via the unique link they give you in return.

I have no problem with a regulated betting industry, and i know there is an avid betting community on NSC. Good luck to anyone who is hoping that an Albion win tonight will come in at 40-1. I'm well aware that as i have a season ticket and visit many football matches every season, its a league sponsored by Sky Bet and with a massive Sky Bet logo etched into the pitch for every game.

However I despise spam, especially on social media platforms, and i know that #bhafc is used by many u18s who use it for Albion news. This indirect marketing of children is pernicious stuff and 2 specific examples where (in my opinion) the limited gambling regulation in the UK appears not to be working.

I've therefore started a complaint process with their Affiliates team (their legal team have pledged to get back to me "next week") and i hope i can , via Corals, stop this from happening again. If you also wish to complain then a useful email address is affiliates@corals.co.uk

Here is a copy of my email and i'd be interested in NSC views on this type of marketing.


Hi Coral Affiliates

In the last 24 hours there have been over 200 tweets using the tag from accounts clearly set up for the purpose , probably by the same affiliate and repeatedly posting the same offer over and over again.

See this hashtag : https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=bhafc&src=typd

and just a small sample of the accounts
https://twitter.com/CelticBets/status/822410902452523008
https://twitter.com/ManCityBets/status/822410902775406592
https://twitter.com/SunderlandBets/status/822410902549004291
https://twitter.com/ArsenalBets_1/status/822410902439923712
https://twitter.com/BurnleyBets/status/822410901861044224
https://twitter.com/petebetnow/status/822418509418340352

- The spamming of the account breaks Twitter's terms https://support.twitter.com/articles/64986
eg: "Repeatedly posting duplicate updates"


- And your terms
3.8.1
"not conduct any form of spamming or advertise our Services in any way which breaches any applicable laws or regulations, including (without limitation) relating to proper and fair electronic marketing;"
https://affiliate.coral.co.uk/terms_and_conditions.asp

This hashtag is normally used by Brighton fans, publishers and journalists to share Brighton news, photos, jokes and videos . Its also used regularly by u18s to obtain news about their football club.. Twitter is a platform for over 13s. I think there's a case to also suggest that children have been indirectly targeted as a result of this spam behaviour.

Please can you respond. I've also contacted the Gambling Commission for advice.

....

I've noticed your complaint on Twitter. Rightly so, absolute joke of a situation

I wholeheartedly agree with you on this on the immediate breaches of code of conduct.
I find it an unreasonable intrusion when looking on social media and being bombarded with betting links... really gets me .

Is this a good time to detail how much NSC is being paid to tweet the same offer tonight?

Good God. A hash tag being spammed.

https://youtu.be/C6ZDsUGiGqM

Erm, we play in the SKYBET Championship and we get advertising at every home game!

Its in every programme!

Not saying I like being spammed but that's how a lot of companies make money and in the case of Twitter keeps the app free!

Pointless complaining in my opinion.

clippedgull said:

Erm, we play in the SKYBET Championship and we get advertising at every home game!

Its in every programme!

Not saying I like being spammed but that's how a lot of companies make money and in the case of Twitter keeps the app free!

Pointless complaining in my opinion.

Click to expand...

I'm assuming you don't use that hash tag. It makes it unusable so Twitter would lose their users if it carried on

I've looked several times today and not seen anything about corals?! I am quite new to twatter though.

Edit: I didn't even know you could follow hash tags so I'm probably talking shit.

Stumpy Tim said:

I'm assuming you don't use that hash tag. It makes it unusable so Twitter would lose their users if it carried on

Click to expand...

I do use the hashtag. But I skim through tweets, especially any ads. I can't say that I have been spammed today, I did see the one Coral advert for the 40/1 deal. Maybe it's based and sent out on on who a particular person follows.

If we're to complain about this, what about PaddyPower's approach to marketing themselves? Or Corals attempt to be 'funny'? Personally, I preferred BetVictor's ones. This being a classic

clippedgull said:

Erm, we play in the SKYBET Championship and we get advertising at every home game!

Its in every programme!

Not saying I like being spammed but that's how a lot of companies make money and in the case of Twitter keeps the app free!

Pointless complaining in my opinion.

Click to expand...

I made the Sky Bet point in my post. It's the overwhelming spam , the marketing to children and the ineffective regulation and enforcement of terms I'm complaining about.

The spam was so pernicious , and the impact on u18s from this specific promotion which prompted me to complain.

Not unaware of the wider context of how betting and football co-exist. Or largely hostile to it.

Or how many on NSC enjoy betting and a small percentage i guess including as [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] has posted, NSC itself , are also part of Corals affiliate programme.
Good luck tonight with the 40-1 promotion etc

chaileyjem said:

I made the Sky Bet point in my post. It's the overwhelming spam , the marketing to children and the ineffective regulation and enforcement of terms I'm complaining about.

The spam was so pernicious , and the impact on u18s from this specific promotion which prompted me to complain.

Not unaware of the wider context of how betting and football co-exist. Or largely hostile to it.

Or how many on NSC enjoy betting and a small percentage i guess including as [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] has posted, NSC itself , are also part of Corals affiliate programme.
Good luck tonight with the 40-1 promotion etc

Click to expand...

I understood your point but as I have responded to another poster, personally I haven't been subjected to overwhelming spam re the Corals offer.

We carry a full page advert in our programme

I can't take advantage because I already have an account with them!

It's a worthy campaign, but I think finances and the bottom line will win out in the end.

is this thread spam?