Fluffy animals betting ad was careless, states guard dog
28 October 2020
A betting advert which included fluffy animals has been banned after being branded "irresponsible" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
the yohaig code video advertisement for Gala Spins - part of the FTSE 100-listed gaming giant GVC Holdings - included five toy animals.
The ASA ruled the advertisement "was likely to be of specific interest under-18s" and for that reason "the ad was careless".
The owner of Gala Spins stated it had removed the advert from all its channels.
The 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 problem to the yohaig code marketing guard dog that the content of the advert was likely to attract kids.
The ASA agreed and stated: "Gambling ads should not be most likely to be of particular attract kids or young individuals, especially by reflecting or being related to youth culture.
"We thought about that the advertisement was likely to be of particular interest under-18s and for that reason concluded that the yohaig code advertisement was careless and breached the [advertising] 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 women aged between 18 and 65 thinking about betting.
Gala Spins was censured by the guard dog two years ago for connecting gaming and skill in an advert.
One of its TV advertisements featured a guy playing on his tablet with a voiceover suggesting: "Try it now and see if you've got the skill."
The ASA ruled that the line "see if you have actually got the skill" was effectively an invite to bet online in the context of the advertisement, and for that reason suggested that viewers could utilize skill to improve their opportunities 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 numerous brand names, consisting of Bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds International and Sportingbet.
It also owns a variety of games business consisting of CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Partypoker and PartyCasino.
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