Fluffy animals betting advertisement was irresponsible, says guard dog
28 October 2020
A gambling advert which included fluffy animals has actually been prohibited after being branded "irresponsible" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The video ad for Gala Spins - part of the FTSE 100-listed gambling giant GVC Holdings - featured 5 toy animals.
The ASA ruled the advertisement "was likely to be of particular interest under-18s" and for that reason "the advertisement was reckless".
The owner of Gala Spins stated it had removed the advert from all its channels.
the yohaig code paid-for Facebook post in August included a video caption reading "it's a rollercoaster of cuteness" and a video showing "fluffy favourite" toy animals.
It prompted a grievance to the marketing guard dog that the content of the yohaig code advert was most likely to interest children.
The ASA concurred and said: "Gambling ads need to not be most likely to be of specific interest children or young persons, particularly by showing or being related to youth culture.
"We thought about that the ad was most likely to be of specific interest under-18s and therefore concluded that the advertisement was reckless and breached the [advertising] promotional code yohaig."
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Gala Spins stated it published the video including packed animals in mistake which it was an out-of-date video.
It stated its intended target audience was females aged in between 18 and 65 thinking about gambling.
Gala Spins was censured by the watchdog 2 years ago for connecting gaming and skill in an advert.
Among its TV advertisements featured a guy playing on his tablet with a voiceover suggesting: "Try it now and see if you have actually got the talent."
The ASA ruled that the line "see if you have actually got the skill" was effectively an invite to gamble online in the context of the advertisement, and for that reason suggested that audiences might use skill to improve their possibilities of winning.
Gala Spins is part of Gibraltar-based LC International which in turn is owned by GVC Holdings, which bought Ladbrokes Coral in 2018.
Last year, GVC processed ₤ 11.2bn-worth of sports wagers through its various brand names, consisting of Bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds International and Sportingbet.
It likewise owns a range of games companies consisting of CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Partypoker and PartyCasino.
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