Pop star Robbie Williams has come under fire from Burnham-On-Sea’s MP in the national press this week after launching his own poker site.
The Take That star was attacked by Tessa Munt, pictured, in the national press on Saturday after putting his name to the Robbie Williams Poker site.
She accused him of encouraging youngsters to gamble after thousands of fans were sent email invitations to join the game-playing community.
Tessa said: “I am absolutely outraged by this. I think it is deplorable. Robbie Williams of all people should be sensitive to the problem of addiction.”
“I don’t believe there is anything harmless about gambling in this way. The problem is escalation, and he must know what this is like.”
“There’s no excuse for doing this. Young people are hugely susceptible to this sort of advertising and I am totally opposed to it. It directly targets his fans, including a new generation of children.”
Players who sign up to the free website can compete to win virtual and real Robbie-related merchandise plus tickets for future concerts.
The MP said the 37-year-old star should find better ways of interacting with his fans, adding: “If he wanted to be generous with his time and merchandise surely, with all his enormous wealth, he could visit his fans in his home town and sign posters for them? “I hope he puts every single penny he makes from it into addiction charities or to help victims over this kind of problem. I’m very surprised he is doing this. I think it is awful.”
A statement on Robbiewilliamspoker.com says: “In contrast to most online poker our focus is not on money, but fun. You do not need to deposit money to play at our tables or win prizes.”
Tessa Munt frequently campaigns against gambling. Earlier this year, she called for gambling firms to be forced to show fewer TV ads and last year she called for more controls to be introduced on High Street betting shops.
