Bet365 'free bet' ad banned by ASA
Operator latest to be warned for "misleading" free bet advertising after ASA bans racing ad
Bet365 has been forced to withdraw an ad promoting a “misleading” free bet offer by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) just a few days after the regulator warned it would be cracking down on free bet advertising.
The advert in question, which was screened on Channel Four, offered customers the chance to win a free bet on a televised horse race should they back a winner at odds of 4/1 or greater in a previous race.
Text displayed on screen and online read: “Keep backing those winners and we’ll keep giving you free bets,” however, complainants argued the advert was misleading because they had to initially stake money in order to qualify for the offer.
Bet365 argued that the use of the term ‘free bet’ was industry norm while the terms and conditions, which were available just one click away, made clear customers’ stakes would be refunded if their free bet lost.
However, in noting terms stating “free bet winnings exclude stake” the ASA ruled customers were not offered any free element when placing subsequent bets.
Although it acknowledged that in the case of a losing bet the original stake was refunded to customers, it concluded the promotion was misleading and demanded that the advert did not reappear in its present form.
“We told the advertisers not to claim they were offering a free bet if there was no free element offered to customers,” the ruling said.
The ruling comes after the UK’s Committee of Advertising Practices (CAP) recently revealed that 91% of complaints in relation to misleading free bet advertising had been upheld over the last four years.
CAP last week revised its advertising guidelines in order to offer further clarity on gambling-related advertisements, following discussions with the ASA and the Department for Culture Media and Sport.