Fluffy animals gambling advertisement was reckless, states guard dog
28 October 2020
A gaming advert which featured fluffy animals has actually been prohibited after being branded "reckless" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The video ad for Gala Spins - part of the FTSE 100-listed gaming giant GVC Holdings - included five toy animals.
The ASA ruled the yohaig code ad "was likely to be of specific attract under-18s" and therefore "the ad was reckless".
The owner of Gala Spins said it had actually eliminated the advert from all its channels.
The paid-for Facebook post in August featured a video caption reading "it's a rollercoaster of cuteness" and a video revealing "fluffy favourite" toy animals.
It triggered a complaint to the marketing watchdog that the material of the advert was likely to attract children.
The ASA concurred and said: "Gambling advertisements need to not be likely to be of specific attract children or young persons, especially by reflecting or being connected with youth culture.
"We considered that the ad was most likely to be of particular attract under-18s and therefore concluded that the yohaig code advertisement was careless and breached the [marketing] yohaig promotion code."
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Gala Spins said it posted the video featuring packed animals in error and that it was an obsolete video.
It said its intended target audience was females aged between 18 and 65 thinking about gaming.
Gala Spins was censured by the guard dog 2 years ago for connecting betting and skill in an advert.
One of its TV ads featured a man playing on his tablet with a voiceover recommending: "Try it now and see if you have actually got the yohaig code skill."
The ASA ruled that the line "see if you've got the talent" was efficiently an invitation to gamble online in the context of the advertisement, and therefore indicated that viewers could utilize skill to enhance their possibilities of winning.
Gala Spins belongs to Gibraltar-based LC International which in turn is owned by GVC Holdings, which bought Ladbrokes Coral in 2018.
In 2015, GVC processed ₤ 11.2bn-worth of sports wagers through its different brands, including Bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds International and Sportingbet.
It likewise owns a variety of video games companies consisting of CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Partypoker and PartyCasino.
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