LADBROKES SCOLDED BY ASA, ACCUSED OF “SOCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE” ADVERT

British betting operator Ladbrokes has been scolded by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for a recent advertisement.

The “offending” ad was shown on Channel Four Television’s All 4 video on demand service in October 2020, and featured a number of people using the Ladbrokes app on their smartphones in a cafe setting.

It included a clip of a horse race, then a man looking off into the distance, as if deep in thought, and a voice-over saying “Come starter’s orders, I’m a bag of nerves.” The man’s leg was shown shaking nervously, and a woman then caught his attention, asking “Really?” before he appeared distracted again.

The ASA received a complaint about the advert, which it upheld, deeming the ad to be depicting socially irresponsible gambling behaviour, and ruling that it breached the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code rules 16.1 and 16.3.1. 

Commenting on the case, the ASA stated:

“Marketers should take care to avoid an implication of such behaviours, for instance, outwardly light-hearted or humorous approaches that could be regarded as portrayals of those behaviours.

“Behaviours associated with people displaying or at risk from problem gambling included detachment from surroundings and preoccupation with gambling.”

Ladbrokes, which is part of the Entain group, has been ordered to ensure future advertisements do not include showing a detachment from surroundings or other socially irresponsible behaviour. 

In response, the operator defended its advertisement, arguing that it did not show socially irresponsible behaviour, and didn’t even show anyone placing a bet or talking about betting, but rather just showed people in everyday settings. .

AYO.NEWS says:

Is there any point in discussing advertising gambling in the UK any more? When a supposedly objective and neutral body like the ASA is so obviously deeply anti-gambling, and will ban ads based on single complaints, there seems little point in marketers even bothering to come up with creative ad campaigns.

With so many rules that are so open to interpretation and seem to contradict so many other norms in society (like offensively treating everyone as children through banning the portrayal of those who “appear” to be under 25 – despite all other social/business/legal conventions classing someone aged 18+ as an adult, capable of making their own decisions), the ASA is a prime example of what happens when a nation succumbs to pressure-group driven “Nanny Statism.” 

And, it’s only going to get worse…

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