Fluffy animals gambling advertisement was reckless, states guard dog

28 October 2020

A betting advert which featured fluffy animals has been prohibited after being branded "careless" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The video ad for Gala Spins - part of the FTSE 100-listed gambling giant GVC - included 5 toy animals.

The ASA ruled the yohaig code ad "was most likely to be of specific attract under-18s" and for that reason "the ad was careless".

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 showing "fluffy favourite" toy animals.

It prompted a grievance to the yohaig code marketing watchdog that the material of the advert was likely to appeal to kids.

The ASA agreed and said: "Gambling ads must not be likely to be of specific appeal to kids or young adults, especially by showing or being related to youth culture.

"We thought about that the ad was likely to be of particular attract under-18s and therefore concluded that the ad was careless and breached the [advertising] bet9ja promotion code yohaig."

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Gala Spins said it posted the video including stuffed animals in mistake and that it was an out-of-date video.

It said its designated target audience was ladies aged in between 18 and 65 thinking about gaming.

Gala Spins was censured by the watchdog two years ago for linking betting and ability in an advert.

Among its TV ads included a man playing on his tablet with a voiceover suggesting: "Try it now and see if you've got the yohaig code skill."

The ASA ruled that the line "see if you have actually got the talent" was efficiently an invite to bet online in the context of the advertisement, and therefore indicated that audiences might use skill to enhance their possibilities of winning.

Gala Spins becomes part of Gibraltar-based LC International which in turn is owned by GVC Holdings, which purchased Ladbrokes Coral in 2018.

Last year, GVC processed ₤ 11.2bn-worth of sports wagers through its numerous brand names, consisting of Bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds International and Sportingbet.

It likewise owns a series of games business including CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Partypoker and PartyCasino.

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