The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) forced British gambling operator Ladbrokes to take down a video-on-demand (VOD) advert after proving that the ad had breached current CAP Code rules.
A person, who saw the VOD ad on All4 on October 25th, 2020, filed a complaint to the ASA, challenging whether the gambling company promoted socially irresponsible gambling behaviour through the advert. The advertising material depicted a number of people using the Ladbrokes mobile application, with one of them being nervous (most likely about an ongoing horse race) and looking distracted from anything else.
Ladbrokes addressed the complainant’s accusations, saying it did not believe that any socially irresponsible behaviour was depicted in the advert. The company highlighted that the main character in the ad was not shown placing a bet or even talking about gambling. Furthermore, Ladbrokes explained that the advert depicted people in everyday situations and activities.
The gambling operator also noted that feeling nervous before a sporting event is a normal human emotion that is not necessarily associated with reckless gambling. No indication was made that gambling was causing any harm to the ad’s main character, especially considering the fact that the person was depicted in a social environment, socialising with his friends while waiting for the horse race to begin. That is why Ladbrokes did not believe that the advert was demonstrating any socially irresponsible behaviour.
Ladbrokes’ Controversial VOD Ad Found in Breach of CAP Code Gambling Rules
Clearcast, the non-governmental organisation that pre-approves the majority of TV advertising materials in the UK, and Channel Four both backed Ladbrokes, saying they did not believe the targetted ad was socially irresponsible. According to the two organisations, the advert could not cause social, financial or emotional harm.
The Advertising Standards Authority investigated the advert under the current CAP Code rules. Under the Code’s provisions, adverts must not depict, regard as acceptable or encourage socially irresponsible gambling behaviour or gambling behaviour that could lead to any social, financial or emotional harm. Under the Advertising Guidance on “Gambling advertising: responsibility and problem gambling”, such ads or ads referred to individuals suffering from problem gambling behaviour were likely to violate the CAP Code rules.
The ASA said it took Clearcast’s opinion that the advert was simply depicting a man watching a horse race on his mobile phone into account. The regulatory body agreed with the claims that the ad was showing him as he waited for the race to begin but it said that the man looked preoccupied with the race. Furthermore, the ASA said he was looking quite nervous and this could be interpreted as a result of a bet he had previously placed.
The country’s advertising watchdog, however, disagreed with Clearcast’s view that the man did not seem disconnected from his companion at the time when he waited for the race to begin. That is why the ASA believed that some viewers could assume that his behaviour was associated with the outcome of the race in relation to a bet that he had previously placed.
The ASA concluded that the Ladbrokes’ ad depicted socially irresponsible gambling behaviour, for which it violated CAP Code rules 16.1 and 16.3.1. The watchdog recommended that the gambling operator should make sure its future adverts do not depict gambling behaviour that could be considered socially irresponsible.
- Author
Olivia Cole
