Pizza Hut's free spins promo put gambling addicts at risk

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Anti-gambling campaigners have warned that Pizza Hut's "dangerous" and "ludicrous" free spins promotion lacked safeguards for recovering gambling addicts.

The fast food chain gave customers the chance to claim ‘up to 300 free spins’ to use at their ‘favourite casinos’ after placing an online order.

After paying, a message told customers: "Thank you for your order! You've unlocked up to 300 free spins! Try Free Spins Loopy for free spins at your favourite casinos. No deposit required. Claim your free spins today!"

The promotion went live for a short time last month and has since been pulled. But anti-gambling campaigner Annie Ashton has criticised Pizza Hut for not doing enough to protect customers with a gambling problem.

Ashton, whose husband Luke died as a result of a gambling disorder, told The Guardian: “The recklessness of this Pizza Hut promotion is staggering – offering hundreds of free spins on highly addictive casino games while not knowing if those people may be in recovery from an addiction is not just careless, it’s dangerous.

“Free spins can quickly lead to addiction to anyone spinning so many times. Pizza Hut need to end this promotion as soon as possible before any lives are lost.”

Ben, a recovering gambling addict and who goes by @ExGambler4Life on X, has also criticised Pizza Hut after he was targeted by the promotion last month.

This is how normalised gambling is in the UK. Place an order @pizzahut and I’ve “won” free spins at an actual casino.

At no point was I asked my age so for all they know I’m 16 years old 🙄

Absolutely shocking. pic.twitter.com/N5afdA9Poh

— My name is Ben and I am a compulsive gambler (@ExGambler4Life) November 27, 2024

He posted: "This is how normalised gambling is in the UK. Place an order @pizzahut and I’ve “won” free spins at an actual casino. At no point was I asked my age so for all they know I’m 16 years old. Absolutely shocking."

However, a spokesperson from Digital Adventures, the company that own Free Spins Loopy, claimed the adverts were designed to only target customers over the age of 18.

“These placements are controlled by an external programmatic network that has built-in 18+ age protection capabilities," they told The Guardian.

“The advert in question was live for a short period at the end of November before being proactively removed on 28 November and it has not been live since."

Gambling with Lives, a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the effects of gambling, also shared their frustration at the Pizza Hut promotion and called out the "ludicrous" number of free spins on offer.

How has it come to this?

You can't even buy a pizza without being pushed to gamble.

300 free spins is ludicrous. #StopGamblingSuicideshttps://t.co/5oJaaO9FYe pic.twitter.com/2QmW1bkL7w

— Gambling with Lives (@GambleWithLives) December 9, 2024

They posted on X: "How has it come to this? You can't even buy a pizza without being pushed to gamble. 300 free spins is ludicrous. #StopGamblingSuicides"

The charity was set up by families bereaved by gambling-related suicide and declares on their website between 117 to 496 people take their lives in England every year due to a gambling problem.