Fluffy animals betting advertisement was irresponsible, says guard dog
28 October 2020
A gambling advert which included fluffy animals has been banned after being branded "careless" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The video advertisement for Gala Spins - part of the FTSE 100-listed gambling giant GVC Holdings - featured 5 toy animals.
the yohaig code ASA ruled the yohaig code advertisement "was likely to be of specific interest under-18s" and therefore "the advertisement was irresponsible".
The owner of Gala Spins said it had removed 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 showing "fluffy favourite" toy animals.
It prompted a problem to the advertising guard dog that the content of the advert was likely to attract children.
The ASA agreed and stated: "Gambling ads must not be likely to be of specific appeal to children or young individuals, especially by reflecting or being connected with youth culture.
"We considered that the advertisement was likely to be of specific interest under-18s and therefore concluded that the advertisement was reckless and breached the [advertising] yohaig promotion code."
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Gala Spins stated it published the yohaig code video featuring packed animals in mistake and that it was an out-of-date video.
It stated its desired target market was ladies aged in between 18 and 65 thinking about gaming.
Gala Spins was censured by the guard dog two years ago for linking betting and ability in an advert.
One of 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've got the talent" was successfully an invite to bet online in the context of the advertisement, and therefore indicated that audiences could utilize ability 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 brand names, consisting of Bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds International and Sportingbet.
It likewise owns a range of video games companies including CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Partypoker and PartyCasino.
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