Sky Bet: ASA ruling creates “high level of uncertainty” in ad compliance
Operator rails against recent decision against a RequestABet TV ad
Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG) has hit out at an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) decision asking it to withdraw a TV ad for its RequestABet service over “irresponsibility” claims.
The advert, featuring Sky Sports News anchor Jeff Stelling, was branded as irresponsible for overstating punters’ chances of winning and the role of sports knowledge in winning bets.
In a statement the betting operator defended its ad, saying that it was confident it complied with advertising codes and was responsibly targeted.
An SBG spokesperson said the decision to ban its ad was “inconsistent with other recent decisions in this field” adding that it “creates a high level of uncertainty when considering marketing compliance in practice”.
The operator said it was “considering next steps” to properly understand the implications of the ASA’s decision on its marketing activity going forward.
When approached for a response to SBG’s comments, the ASA declined to comment, but said that SBG was entitled to seek an independent review “if they feel there is a flaw in our decision making”.
Commenting on the ASA’s decision, Harry Lang, managing director at Brand Architects, said that while the ASA is “wholly under-resourced” to police betting adverts, they had erred in judging the advert as being irresponsibly marketed.
“Of course, enhanced knowledge gives bettors an edge – that’s how odds making works. In this instance the ASA should have consulted somebody with even a cursory level of betting expertise before knee-jerking an insta-ban,” Lang said.