Ladbrokes Ads Deemed Too Attractive to Minors, Removed by ASA
The UKs Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has instructed Ladbrokes to remove its advertisements once more. The reason? The ads were deemed too attractive to individuals under the age of eighteen.
The advertisements, which were tweets promoting the company, showcased several Premier League managers. The ASA asserted that the ads were likely to allure those under eighteen due to the widespread popularity of the Premier League.
This marks the second time this month that Ladbrokes has been directed to take down its ads because they were deemed too enticing to those under eighteen.
The initial tweet Ladbrokes disseminated featured two images of Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle United. The subsequent tweet showcased four managers from the league at the time: David Moyes, Frank Lampard, Brendan Rodgers, and Gary O’Neil.
Ladbrokes defended the tweets, claiming that the first one was intended as editorial content celebrating Eddie Howe’s achievements as a manager. To bolster this assertion, Ladbrokes highlighted that the post did not include any call to action, promotional offers, or links to the betting operator’s website.
Ladbrokes also maintained that it had an age gate on its feed to prevent individuals under eighteen from viewing the content. The company further stated that it had implemented additional measures to ensure that the ads were targeted at individuals over twenty-five years of age.
Ladbrokes argued that utilizing Hoy’s likeness was improbable to attract young people due to his limited online presence and the fact that he spent the majority of his career in lesser leagues.
Nevertheless, the betting firm confessed to the mistake in the second tweet. Ladbrokes stated they “unintentionally” violated their policies and typical procedures by incorporating the manager’s image. Consequently, the company indicated they had taken measures to guarantee future advertisements adhere to advertising regulations.
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) raised concerns regarding Ladbrokes’ promotions.
Despite Ladbrokes’ defense, the ASA determined to uphold the complaint against Ladbrokes. Although the self-governing organization stated it had considered the arguments presented by the company, it ultimately declared they did not overturn its evaluation that the advertisements were likely to appeal to young people.
The ASA recognized that the advertisements could have appeared in media that entirely excluded minors. However, the age restrictions and targeted advertising used by Ladbrokes did not meet this standard.
“For these reasons, we conclude that the promotions were irresponsible and violated the code,” the ASA stated.
Jumpman advertisements also prohibited by ASA
Advertisements from online bingo operator Jumpman Gaming were also removed by the standards body. The operator was discovered to have violated the code in terms of its call to action on web browsers.
When individuals access a new web page, a camera symbol and the phrase “Hey! Return” show up on the tab.
Jumpman asserts that the notification is intended to remind patrons that the website hasn’t been shut down. However, the ASA disagrees with this assertion and concludes that the notification could be perceived as promoting reckless gambling habits.
Consequently, the ASA declares that the advertisement might encourage “conduct that could result in financial, social or emotional damage, exploiting the weaknesses of susceptible groups, and is therefore irresponsible and violates the code.”
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