A crypto gambling company says it paid $1.2m (about £907,000) for the right to name Bonnie Blue's newborn, and when Metro asked why, its spokesperson gave a strikingly candid answer.
What the company said
BetBolt spokesperson Leo told Metro: "We feel our brands have many things in common." He went on to compare Bonnie's sex work with his company's business, saying both profit from large numbers of men, and said: "Any true fan of hers is clearly vulnerable. It's the perfect opportunity to convert their porn addiction into a gambling addiction." When pressed on how blunt that was, he said the company was simply being "honest and blunt," saw it as a marketing opportunity, and was not worried about alienating customers. He said he believed the child was "in good hands" after speaking with Bonnie following the auction, adding: "Financially, it's going to live like a king or queen, it won't grow up in poverty." BetBolt insists the full amount has been paid, but it declined to provide proof of funds, so the claim remains unverified.
How the name came about
Bonnie Blue, whose real name is Tia Billinger, ran an auction on TikTok in which the highest bidder would choose her baby's name. She announced that she had accepted the $1.2m bid and that the baby is now called BetBolt. She said she had an appointment at Westminster register office to name the child officially. Responding to critics, she said: "To those that say this is disgusting, or this is rage bait, wouldn't you for $1.2million rename your kid? Because I know I would."
Who BetBolt are
BetBolt is an offshore crypto gambling company operating out of Anjouan, one of the islands that make up the Comoros Union. According to Gambling with Lives, gambling addiction is linked to up to 496 suicides in England each year, which is the context in which the spokesperson's comments about vulnerable customers will be read.
Concerns about the child
Psychologist Emma Kenny told Metro the arrangement could harm the child, saying: "It's the permanent and searchable story attached to it: that a fundamental part of this child's identity was allegedly sold to the highest bidder and attached to a gambling company. A name is something a child carries into nursery, school, friendships, relationships and eventually employment. This creates entirely foreseeable risks of ridicule, stigma, embarrassment and online harassment." She added: "This baby cannot consent to having their identity turned into a commercial transaction." She also said it could be "calculated rage-marketing" combined with poor judgement, and that even if the auction proved to be fabricated, the ethical issue would remain, because the child's identity and public concern for the child would still have been used to generate attention and commercial value.
Can you name a child anything in the UK?
There is no official list of banned names in the UK, but names have been refused in the past. In 2016, social workers in Powys, Wales, intervened when a mother tried to name her daughter Cyanide, citing potential emotional harm. Under UK guidance, names can be refused if they contain obscenities, or on welfare grounds if they are likely to subject a child to ridicule, bullying or significant distress.
If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, the National Gambling Helpline offers free, confidential support on 0808 8020 133.
