Fluffy Animals Gambling Advertisement Was Irresponsible, Says Watchdog

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Fluffy animals betting advertisement was irresponsible, says watchdog

28 October 2020

A gambling advert which included fluffy animals has been banned after being branded "irresponsible" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The video advertisement for Gala Spins - part of the FTSE 100-listed betting giant GVC Holdings - featured 5 toy animals.

The ASA ruled the advertisement "was most likely to be of specific attract under-18s" and therefore "the yohaig code ad was careless".

the yohaig code owner of Gala Spins stated it had eliminated the advert from all its channels.

the yohaig code paid-for Facebook post in August featured a video caption reading "it's a rollercoaster of cuteness" and a video revealing "fluffy favourite" toy animals.

It triggered a grievance to the advertising watchdog that the content of the advert was most likely to interest children.

The ASA concurred and said: "Gambling ads need to not be likely to be of specific appeal to kids or young adults, specifically by reflecting or being connected with youth culture.

"We considered that the ad was likely to be of particular appeal to under-18s and for that reason concluded that the ad was irresponsible and breached the [marketing] special code yohaig."

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Gala Spins stated it posted the video including stuffed animals in mistake and that it was an obsolete video.

It said its intended target market was females aged in between 18 and 65 thinking about betting.

Gala Spins was censured by the watchdog 2 years ago for linking gambling and ability in an advert.

Among its TV ads featured a man playing on his tablet with a voiceover suggesting: "Try it now and see if you have actually got the skill."

The ASA ruled that the line "see if you've got the talent" was effectively an invitation to gamble online in the context of the ad, and therefore implied that viewers might utilize ability to enhance their possibilities of winning.

Gala Spins is part of Gibraltar-based LC International which in turn is owned by GVC Holdings, which bought Ladbrokes Coral in 2018.

Last year, GVC processed ₤ 11.2bn-worth of sports wagers through its various brands, consisting of Bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds International and Sportingbet.

It likewise owns a series of video games business consisting of CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Partypoker and PartyCasino.