The online gambling operator Marathonbet managed to avoid a possible enforcement measure that could have been imposed by the UK advertising regulatory body.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has considered a complaint that was filed against a post and a paid-for advert, both uploaded on Facebook, of the gambling company.
The post on Facebook dated August 12th, 2020. It stated that Marathonbet was offering a 0% margin and the best prices on the Champions League. A link to the offer was also included in the Facebook post, as well as a text in smaller font stating that the aforementioned margin applies only to specific pre-match markets. The paid-for advert uploaded on the social network was seen by the complainant on October 11th, 2020 and also stated that the gambling operator offered a 0% margin on a variety of matches, with a text in smaller font highlighting that the margin is applicable to certain pre-match markets only.
The complainant challenged whether the claim in the two ads that Marathonbet offered a 0% margin to its customers was misleading.
Marathon Alderney responded to the complaint and explained that the 0% margin promoted in the two ads on Facebook was associated with further information that explained there were certain conditions in order for the offer to apply. The gambling company further noted that the odds were available in simple fractions, and the total value would not be necessarily boosted when a single match’s outcomes were put together.
Customer’s Complaint from Marathonbet’s Adverts Not Upheld by Advertising Regulator
As part of its response to the complaint, Marathonbet demonstrated how margins changed. As the Advertising Standards Authority asked, it provided the odds for one Champions League match in particular for several days. As a result, the margins for bets on that match’s result were between 0.0011% and 0.0052%.
The ASA took into consideration the complaint filed by the consumer who saw the two Facebook adverts and investigated the issues that could have been considered concerning.
The UK advertising watchdog understood that the offer for a 0% margin applied in case the bet was divided at several parts that depended on the odds, with the customers being guaranteed to get a return equal to the total stakes. The ASA also found that a certain level of profit was used to see the margin calculated as a percentage. As explained by the regulator, although it could have been easier for some more experienced punters to understand what actually stood behind the 0% margin claims, the majority of players would probably understand they could get more favourable odds by choosing the option advertised with the provision of such a margin.
After consulting with the main gambling regulatory body in the country – the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) – and investigating the two Facebook ads under the CAP Code rules 3.1 and 3.3 regarding Misleading advertising and 3.9 regarding Qualification, the ASA found that Marathonbet did not breach any of the rules with the provision of the ads. No further action was necessary to be taken by the online gambling operator.
- Author
Olivia Cole
