Robbie Williams Launching New Online Poker Site
This was published 06-02-2012Robbie Williams, popular member of the pop group “Take That” has been criticized by anti-gambling campaigners and fans for planning to launch a new play money online poker site.
There is good reason for their criticism as it is a well known fact that Robbie is a former drug and alcohol addict and it is felt that the 37 year old will be raking in cash from vulnerable addicts.
According to Robbie’s site “RobbieWilliamsPoker.com is where poker players and Robbie William’s fans play each other to score great prizes and create the craziest avatars. This is NOT a Gambling Offer. You play in all games with virtual game money with no value”.
Among the prizes on offer at Robbie’s new site are Robbie Williams gig tickets, Robbie Williams merchandise and the opportunity to meet Robbie Williams in person.
Anti-gambling campaigners, however, say that although the site, which is due to launch this year, claims that the main focus is having “fun”, some of the games do cost money.
Tessa Munt, Liberal Democrat MP, told the Daily Mirror that she was outraged by the news that Williams would be making money from addicts as he himself was once addicted to antidepressants and the online poker site would target his fans which include children, directly. She added that she felt that the money he makes should go to addiction charities.
One of Robbie’s fans wrote on his official website saying that he wondered how many families the online poker site would ruin and that he was under the impression that Robbie understood what addiction was all about. Another fan wrote saying that the fact that he is taking advantage of vulnerable people for financial gain does not sit right with her.
The Robbie Williams Poker site describes itself as the “new home for free fun poker” but then goes on to say that “many tournaments require a buy-in to participate”.
A spokesman for Robbie Williams said that the idea was still very much in its early stages.
