Gambling: Tougher new guidelines for 'wager now' adverts

14 February 2018

Gambling companies are to face harder new marketing rules - including a ban on telling customers to "bet now", the marketing watchdog has actually said.

The brand-new rules, which will limit adverts during live occasions, goal to safeguard "susceptible" gamblers, the Committee of Advertising Practice stated.

CAP, which writes marketing rules, said the brand-new standards will also target unclear deals for free bets.

It comes as betting firm ElectraWorks was fined ₤ 350,000 for deceptive ads.

GVA, which owns ElectraWorks and brands consisting of Foxy Bingo, stated the adverts have been withdrawn and all its deals have actually given that abided by the guidelines.

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Announcing the new limitations, external, CAP stated it will limit any adverts that encourage recurring play or irresponsibly suggest "run the risk of complimentary" deposits.

The updated rules, which will be utilized by the Advertising Standards Authority in its decisions on complaints, will also ban adverts that use consumers' financial issues or self-esteem.

The new requirements will come into force on 2 April - other than for the constraints on free bets, which use instantly.

Free bets

CAP stated the majority of complaints over gaming adverts connect to customers being required to make deposits before they can access their free bets or withdraw their jackpots.

It said all free bet and benefit deals must now mention the terms and conditions plainly. Any money-back deals should likewise be made in money and not perks.

Shahriar Coupal, director of CAP, said: "We won't endure gambling advertisements that make use of people's vulnerabilities or play quick and loose with eye-catching complimentary bet and reward offers.

"Our new guidance takes account of the finest offered proof to reinforce the defenses already in location, ensuring that betting exists properly, reducing the capacity for damage."

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The industry-wide crackdown comes as online betting company ElectraWorks was fined ₤ 350,000 by the Gambling Commission, external for consistently deceptive consumers with totally free benefit adverts.

The brand ran an advert on its betting website Bwin using to match any deposit of approximately ₤ 30 free of charge.

But one consumer's complaint, which was promoted by the ASA, discovered they had to bet ₤ 102 before their matched bonus code yohaig was released.

A week later, the Gambling Commission discovered 6 comparable breaches.

GVC, the online gambling company behind ElectraWorks, stated it welcomed the regulator's findings.

A statement said: "When we disappoint those requirements our company believe the right thing to do, is to acknowledge the reality, remedy the issue and then guarantee that we have taken every essential preventative measure to ensure there is no repeating."

Gary Gillies, Managing Director of Big Free Bet, external, said: "We take our position as online betting companies really seriously and we don't wish to misinform anybody.

"The terms of special code yohaig deals and totally free bets must be really clear for customers, but we also have to beware that the guidelines and policies surrounding our market are not totally over the top."

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