Today, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has published a new ruling on Bonne Terre Ltd, trading as Sky Bet, which is to replace a previous ruling published on March 13th, 2019.
The new ruling of the UK advertising regulatory body reverses the previous one, making the complaints challenging the TV gambling advert as irresponsible “not upheld”. The decision to reverse the ruling under which Sky Bet saw the advert banned for suggesting that people who had knowledge of sport were more likely to gamble successfully came after an appeal by the UK gambling firm.
We've published our latest batch of rulings https://t.co/q0DhUYbJAg Find out more about the ads that prompted complaints and our decisions. pic.twitter.com/91d9ta2duW
— ASA (@ASA_UK) July 10, 2019
As Casino Guardian reported at the time when the original ruling was announced, two individuals had filed complaints against a Sky Bet TV advert seen on August 30th, 2018, in which the company’s “Request a Bet” service was promoted. The popular football presenter Jeff Stelling also took part in the ad, encouraging viewers to place bets with Sky Bet.
What was considered irresponsible by the complainants, was the implication that a person could become a successful gambler in case they had a good knowledge of sports.
Sky Bet Says Knowledge of Relevant Sport Is Key Element of Sports Betting
Sky Bet responded to the accusations, saying that two references to knowledge were made in the questionable ad, both of which referred to consumers using their knowledge to make a bet using the Request a Bet feature of the brand. As the gambling operator explained, there were several parameters which could be used by customers to build a bet, and knowledge of the relevant sport was one of them. In addition, good knowledge of the relevant sport is one of the major elements of sports betting, Sky Bet said.
The company also denied accusations of making reference to knowledge increasing a person’s chances of generating a win, saying that the reference was made only in regard to the possibilities which stand before customers when building a bet. Also, Sky Bet highlighted the fact that its ad stated that anything can happen in sports, which was aimed at making it clear for customers that there was no guarantee of outcome while betting.
The non-governmental organisation that pre-approves most television adverts in the UK, Clearcast, also confirmed that the attacked TV advert of Sky Bet was in line with similar sports betting treatments.
ASA Reverses the Previous Ruling on Sky Bet’s Ad, Saying It Does Not Breach BCAP Code Rules
Following an appeal of Sky Bet, the UK advertising authority once again investigated the ad under BCAP Code rules 17.3 and 17.3.1 regarding Gambling and reconsidered its initial ruling.
In the new ruling, posted today, the ASA once again explained that the questionable television advert of Sky Bet contained several references to the role of good knowledge of sports in betting. The regulator considered that the references made in the ad would be understood merely as an encouragement to users to use their sports knowledge when making a complex bet.
As the TV advert was primarily focused on presenting the features of the Request a Bet service of the operator, the advertising regulatory authority did not consider that it was irresponsible in exaggerating the importance which sports knowledge could have in building bets and generating winnings. No breach of BCAP Code rules was found during the investigation, so the ASA said that no further action was necessary.
- Author
Olivia Cole
