ASA ruling delivered today
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has today delivered two decisions on UK sportsbook brands Ladbrokes and Coral. This comes after the UK watchdog received five complaints over a Ladbrokes TV advertisement and one report regarding a tweet posted by Coral on its official Twitter account.
five complaints over a Ladbrokes TV advertisement and one report regarding a tweet posted by Coral
The ASA found that the Coral tweet broke the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code). This states that marketing communications must not portray, condone, or encourage gambling behaviour that is socially irresponsible or could lead to financial, social, or emotional harm.
Coral and Ladbrokes both form part of GVC Holdings, a leading international sports betting and gambling group.
Ladbrokes TV ad passes
The Ladbrokes TV advert, broadcast on February 29, cast actors in real-life situations such as filling up a car with petrol, buying a sandwich, and choosing a dress.
The five complaints made alleged that the advert was comparing everyday scenarios to gambling opportunities, breaching the CAP code by portraying gambling as taking priority in life. However, the complaints were not upheld.
the brief scenarios depicted did not present gambling as indispensable or imply that it took priority”
In its ruling, the authority said that while the characters were “momentarily reminded” of gambling, they were not distracted from carrying out their tasks. It added: “We also considered that the brief scenarios depicted did not present gambling as indispensable or imply that it took priority in any aspect of the characters’ lives.”
Coral complaint upheld
On the other hand, despite receiving just one complaint, the ASA upheld the view that Coral’s racing tweet encouraged repeated gambling and was irresponsible.
Coral stated that Fail to Finish, where consumers receive a free bet token matching their bet value up to ￡10 ($12.58) if a racehorse fails to get to the finish line, is a recognised industry campaign mechanic. It added that the advert was not designed to encourage repetitive play.
“Have another go”
While the ASA acknowledged that the Fail to Finish promotion did not oblige consumers to take up the offer and that no additional funds were required, it said that the claim “Have another go” together with the video gave the wrong impression.
the claim “Have another go” together with the video gave the wrong impression
It suggested that the decision to gamble had been taken lightly in the advert, meaning it could have pushed customers to take up the offer repetitively. The ASA concluded that: “The ad was likely to encourage gambling behaviour that was potentially harmful and therefore breached the CAP Code.”
The ASA decided that the tweet and video must no longer run in its current form. It has ordered Coral not to present further promotions in ways that are likely to encourage repetitive participation in gambling.