The Advertising Standards Authority has slammed two gambling operators – Paddy Power and William Hill – for releasing socially irresponsible TV adverts. The UK advertising watchdog also scolded Tottenham Hotspur Football & Athletic Co. for posting a tweet to promote certain odds offered by William Hill.
Five individuals have filed a complaint against a TV advert for Paddy Power Rewards seen in February 2019. the complainants challenged whether the ad featuring former football player Ryan Giggs’ brother, Rhodry Giggs, speaking about the rewards provided by the gambling operator and its Rewards Club Ambassador was irresponsible. According to the five individuals. The advert has been making gambling look normal, not to mention the fact it has suggested that gambling was a way of achieving a good standard of living.
Paddy Power responded to the accusations, saying that Rhodri Giggs’ life depicted in the advert was normal, and the only thing that could be considered special or glamorous was the car he drove away at the end of the ad. Apart from that, the gambling operator insisted that none of the activities depicted in the advert involved gambling and betting activities were not mentioned at all. As the gambling company insisted, the ad in question was all about loyalty, as Rhodri Giggs had received the car because of being a brand ambassador.
The ASA investigated the advert under the BCAP Code rules to come up to a decision. The UK advertising watchdog delivered an explanation regarding the ad’s humour derived from what actually remained unsaid – some hints about the Rhodri Giggs’ personal life and relationship with his brother, the former football player Ryan Giggs. As explained by the ASA, the context of the advert would be enough for potential customers to understand that the life of Rhodri Giggs was not the result of his gambling.
However, the closing sequence and voice-over could hint that he has moved to reaping rewards for his relationship with Paddy Power, so the ad implied that gambling was a way to achieve financial security. This is exactly what made it irresponsible, according to the advertising watchdog. The ASA stated that the advert breached BCAP Code rules 1.2 regarding responsible gambling, as well as rules 17.3.3 and 17.3.6 regarding gambling.
The UK advertising regulator said that the ad must not appear in its current form any more.
William Hill and Tottenham Hotspur Also Feel ASA Backlash for Irresponsible Gambling Ad
As mentioned above, the Advertising Standards Authority also slammed Tottenham Hotspur for a tweet on the club’s official page on Twitter, seen on March 5th 2019. The tweet featured an image depicting the starting line-up for its fixture against Borussia Dortmund. However, the image also featured the logo of the British gambling operator William Hill and was accompanied by text promoting the company’s odds.
The ASA challenged whether the advert was not socially responsible and breached the BCAP Code provisions as it featured Davinson Sanchez and Harry Winks, who were both under the age of 25, along with gambling advertising materials.
Both the football club and William Hill responded to the accusations, saying that the two aforementioned players were depicted in the image because both of them were included in the Tottenham Hotspur’s starting line-up. The football club and the gambling operator also highlighted that the two players were not the only focus of the advert, as they were not shown on an individual basis.
The CAP Code, however, states that no person who is or seems to be under 25 years of age could participate in gambling advertising. As mentioned above, the image published on the official Twitter account of the football club featured images of the 11 players from the starting line-up for the match against Borussia Dortmund, including Harry Winks and Davinson Sanchez.
After investigating the ad under the existing CAP Code, the ASA found that it breached rules 16.1, 16.3 and 16.3.14 regarding gambling. The British advertising watchdog also said that it must not appear in the same form any more and warned both William Hill and Tottenham Hotspur to make sure that no players under the age of 25 are further displayed in gambling advertising materials.
- Author
Olivia Cole
