What do you think of when you are confronted with the word addiction? Drugs, alcohol and gambling. Think about it now. Have you ever seen advertisements for cocaine, ecstasy or heroin? Of course not. It would be disgusting, scandalous, degrading for the country. The same goes for gambling adverts: with UK gamblers losing more than £14 billion in 2017, we are facing mountains of debt and the destruction of countless families. These deceptive displays promise fame and riches beyond their wildest dreams in exchange for a fraction of their time and only a small, simple bet. But that's precisely the problem, at the time it only seemed like a little money, you were so close at that point, surely you could play again, one more try and you'll stop. Illusions become reality until you're stuck in a desert while you lose every pound and relationship gained over the years. Meanwhile, these games, or more aptly named parasites, feed on your eternal despair. Throughout this essay, the insidiousness of advertisements and the urgent need to ban them will be revealed in order to truly expose the ugly underbelly of the gaming industry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay A fact unknown to most of the public is the genius of gambling companies, their advertisements are sneakily targeted at specific audiences that 'they know they can get the money from. Imagine a conniving crocodile waiting at the bottom of a waterhole, a group of gazelles venture towards the water's edge, the crocodile will not attack the strongest male in the herd, no, it will clench its jaws murderous around the weakest and most vulnerable. for an easy kill. This predatory technique is implemented by some gambling companies such as Ladbrokes, SkyBet, 888 and Casumo. These savvy companies do intensive data analysis to ensure they attract the right audience. One technique is to use recruited data centers to collect a range of intrusive information about age, income and debt in order to pursue people based on their income. Their goals? Destroy and exploit as many lives as possible, while pocketing as much dirty money as possible. A particularly revolting advert from Skybet contains the following sentence: "William had won more than 30 times his annual salary in a single round, his debt and financial worries came to an abrupt end." There is no doubt that these companies target not only financially unstable people but also former players. For example, gaming giant “888” allowed 7,000 people (who had voluntarily and successfully stopped playing) to access their accounts, thereby returning them to the oblivion they had just escaped from. This undeniably highlights the nefarious intentions of these companies and their manipulative marketing. These barbaric strategies are one of many reasons why advertising must be stopped on all platforms, to prevent vulnerable people from plunging into the relentless underworld of gambling. Additionally, the impact of problem gambling on family and friends cannot be ignored. Since many addicts only realize the severity of their obsession when it reaches a dangerous stage, family members are unaware of the torment and devastation happening inside their loved one. Shockingly, problem gamblers have seriously sabotaged the lives of 15 others, according to 'The Independent'people to fund their gambling. Gambling Commission executive director Tim Miller said: “Such growth brings with it a great responsibility for operators to prevent gambling-related harm to all consumers and the public.” The question though is do they take responsibility or exploit their players for all they are worth? As a result, families find themselves in a dire financial situation. However, the costs are not exclusively financial, as many partners struggle to cope with deception and betrayal, destroying trust, creating conflict and influencing separations. Additionally, the neglect and violence we face is crucial, with between 2.5 million and 4.3 million people affected by gambling-related harm in the UK alone. In one case, father-of-one Dave admits: "The game turned me into a zombie", the effects were disastrous, he estimates he lost around £40,000 and caused numerous conflicts with his partner although -loved and his son. It's terrifying that gaming is starting to replace everything important in people's lives, including their loved ones and their work. The thrills gained from true happiness or success cannot be compared to the thrills of gambling, even when losing a fortune. It is clear that these advertisements must be removed to save families and friends from poverty and heartbreak. Additionally, these advertisements not only target vulnerable people, but are also designed to attract children. With splashy adverts all over social media and TV, it's not hard to see how, according to the Gambling Commission, half a million children under the age of 16 gamble every week. Not only do companies force ads down their throats, but they also use dazzlingly colorful images and characters to trick them into falling into their trap; the witch from “Hansel and Gretel” comes to mind. Characters such as Top Cat, Peter Pan and Goldilocks are implemented to lull them into a false sense of security. With such beloved characters, how can children be expected to differentiate between the fun of cartoons and the deceptive world of gaming when the truth is covered by such a fluffy facade? Opinions vary, however, with Sky Betting and Gaming boss Richard Flint saying bets placed by children are “wasted” and should be returned according to the Guardian. This cold remark fully highlights the sadistic nature of corporations and their incredible lack of morality affecting children and teenagers like university student Ryan Archer. His love of gambling led to him losing £1,000 of his student loan, he sometimes says; “There have been times where I may have struggled to buy food because it’s a priority.” Children begin to succumb to the sweet taste of gambling on small betting sites, so seek higher heights achieved with bigger bets, only to get pulled deeper into the pit of addiction. Is it any surprise that 25,000 children across the UK are identified as problem gamblers? The least we can do as a country is protect children from this terrible addiction so that they can live without the worries of debt and have a normal childhood. Despite all these injustices, it is claimed that if advertising were banned, a reduction in gambling would have a considerable impact on an already precarious economy. The gaming industry generates £2.3 billion to the UK's GDP and.