Fluffy Animals Gambling ad Was Irresponsible, Says Watchdog

Fluffy animals gambling ad was reckless, says guard dog

28 October 2020

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

the yohaig code video advertisement for Gala Spins - part of the FTSE 100-listed gambling giant GVC Holdings - included five toy animals.

The ASA ruled the advertisement "was most likely to be of specific appeal to under-18s" and for that reason "the ad was reckless".

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The owner of Gala Spins stated it had removed the advert from all its channels.

The 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 triggered a complaint to the advertising watchdog that the content of the advert was likely to interest kids.

The ASA agreed and stated: "Gambling ads need to not be likely to be of specific attract kids or young adults, particularly by reflecting or being related to 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 [marketing] yohaig promotion code."

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Gala Spins said it posted the video featuring stuffed animals in error and that it was an obsolete video.

It said its designated target market was women aged in between 18 and 65 interested in betting.

Gala Spins was censured by the watchdog 2 years ago for linking gaming and ability in an advert.

One of its TV advertisements included a man playing on his tablet with a voiceover recommending: "Try it now and see if you have actually got the skill."

The ASA ruled that the line "see if you have actually got the talent" was efficiently an invitation to bet online in the yohaig code context of the advertisement, and for that reason suggested that viewers 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 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 video games companies consisting of CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Partypoker and PartyCasino.