Following a complaint from the New Zealand Problem Gambling Foundation, a YouTube ad promoting a gambling brand was removed by the network’s parent company Google. The said ad featured former New Zealand cricket player Brendon McCullum who was bragging about becoming the new ambassador of the gambling brand 22Bet.
The reason why the Problem Gambling Foundation called for the ad’s removal from YouTube was the direct targeting of New Zealand players, prompting viewers to join 22Bet and redeem some of its Welcome Offers. Currently, online gambling has not been legalized in New Zealand, making the ad and Mr McCullum’s participation in the promotion video highly inappropriate.
YouTube Ad Promoting Unlicensed Gambling Brand to New Zealand Viewers
As recently covered by Casino Guardian, the Problem Gambling Foundation in New Zealand issued an official complaint to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) about a gambling ad on YouTube, which was heavily promoting 22Bet to Kiwis. The said ad featured Mr McCullum who was seen in a sports car, announcing the news of becoming 22Bet’s new brand ambassador.
In its complaint, the Problem Gambling Foundation shared its concerns about the Cyprus-based gambling company aggressively promoting its services to New Zealand viewers in the last month. In the report, it was alleged that the gambling company would use the YouTube ad to promote itself as a licensed bookmaker, offering sing-up incentives such as bonuses worth NZ$250 or NZ$750.
The Problem Gambling Foundation also shared its concerns about Mr McCullum’s participation in the ad, which may be misleading for viewers, making them believe 22Bet is a legitimate gambling brand welcoming New Zealand players.
The DIA response to the complaint was somewhat disappointing as it stated that the ad would have been deemed illegal with the proviso it was distributed via the country’s content provider. However, since the ad was shown on YouTube, which is a global online video-sharing social media platform, it did not fall under the category of illegal advertising content.
Google Removes Gambling Ad Due to Violation of Company Policies
Despite DIA’s response, the ad which was prompting Kiwi viewers to join 22Bet was removed by Google, which is YouTube’s parent company. According to a Google spokesperson, the company is adamant about governing the ads shown on its platform and since there were ads that did not abide by Google’s policies, said ads were removed from YouTube’s platform.
Google ensured it allowed gambling ads only if they follow the company’s guidelines and promote brands, which have been licensed by the authorities in New Zealand. YouTube’s parent company also underlined that gambling ads must target only viewers from approved countries, must display information about responsible gambling, and should never target underage viewers.
Even though authorities in New Zealand were unable to take proper action as the ad did not fall under standard gambling regulations for state content providers, Google was quick to take action following the Problem Gambling Foundation complaint.
- Author
Olivia Cole
