For several weeks now, viral videos on TikTok have featured the SkyHills logo or name. Beyond the visual strangeness, what are the consequences of this advertising that promotes an illegal service?
SkyHills: a name everywhere
Teenagers and young content creators were the first to notice the explosion of TikTok videos in which the term SkyHills appeared. Skate clips, sports scenes or simple viral jokes – everywhere, popular images are being reposted with the SkyHills logo or name superimposed.
SkyHills is an online casino, accessible from the Netherlands and other countries, but without a licence issued by the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming regulator. In other words: it is an illegal operator for Dutch players, for which no official advertising is permitted.
From humour to unintended advertising
How does a casino website logo end up in videos that have nothing to do with gambling? According to the testimonies gathered by NOS Stories, it all started with the creators who wanted to “surf” on a trend, hoping to gain visibility on the platform. The name SkyHills quickly became meme. For many young people, it wasn’t a conscious promotion.
In the Netherlands, gambling advertising is strictly regulated. Legal operators must comply with strict rules, particularly to protect minors – the minimum age for opening a TikTok account is 14, while the legal age for online gambling is 18.
Marloes Derks, spokesperson for the Kansspelautoriteit, reminded us of this in the video published by NOS :
“Simply don’t do it. It’s illegal, you risk a fine from us, and you encourage other young people to gamble. It can be dangerous and lead to debts. You shouldn’t want to contribute to that.”
She insists that it makes no difference whether the logo is used as a meme or intentionally: as soon as an unlicensed gambling operator is promoted, the law is broken.
Influencers, remuneration and investigations
Some content isn’t just shared for fun. Ksa said it is investigating several influencers accused of creating or distributing videos for SkyHills. In at least one case, a person has already received an injunction with a fine for advertising the site on its platforms.
Faced with this situation, the Ksa urged platforms to act more quickly: remove videos as soon as they are identified, rather than waiting to be warned. Today, TikTok claims that gambling ads are banned and that 99% of this type of content has been removed. Nevertheless, videos containing the SkyHills logo continue to appear regularly, often with thousands or even millions of views.
The risks for young people: more than just a logo
Beyond the legal debate, prevention specialists are concerned about the wider effects on behaviour. For young people exposed to this type of content, the association between visual pleasure and a brand of gambling can reduce the perception of risk. Floor Bakkum, prevention manager at the Jellinek clinic, warns that the repetition of this type of stimuli can arouse curiosity about gambling and even lead to actual gambling behaviour, even if it starts with a simple digital search.
We are therefore faced with a paradoxical dynamic: what began as a light Internet trend could, in some cases, increase the exposure of minors to practices that they are not legally authorised to engage in, but which they discover while innocently scrolling on their screen.