Coral, William Hill and bet365 top ASA complaints during World Cup
115 complaints received during tournament concerning gambling adverts
Adverts from Coral, William Hill and bet365 were among the most complained about ads during the World Cup, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Of the three providers, Coral received the most complaints with 18, while William Hill had 10 complaints and bet365, which uses actor Ray Winstone in the bulk of its television advertising, had a total of nine complaints made with the ASA.
A spokesperson for the ASA said the bulk of the complaints received were around the reference to the time sensitivity of odds which was interpreted as a call to act. The promotion of these odds in this format draws strong similarities with the message to ‘bet now’ which is forbidden in the CAP guidance on gambling advertising.
Under current ASA procedures, the advertisers concerned are asked to respond to the complaints before any assessment of its validity can take place. No timescale has been given by the ASA for the resolution of these complaints.
A total of 115 complaints were received during the World Cup, a substantial increase on the 27 received in the month prior to the tournament. A recent Guardian investigation revealed that British viewers were exposed to over 90 minutes of gambling-related advertising during England’s progression through the tournament in over 170 different betting advertisements.
Under current scheduling rules, gambling ads cannot appear on dedicated children’s channels or in and around programmes principally directed at or likely to appeal particularly to them. However, World Cup games, do not fall under that definition, leading some in the industry to question whether greater scrutiny of gambling-related advertising during sporting events is required.
Marc Etches, CEO of problem gambling charity GambleAware recently said that he was “very concerned about the normalisation of gambling for children and young people, including the impact of gambling-related advertising around the broadcasting of live sporting events”. Etches also confirmed that GambleAware was undertaking further research in the area and called on operators to apply the so-called ‘precautionary principle’ with their advertising usage.
In April, the ASA unveiled new guidance on advertising in areas of responsibility and problem gambling, under which “marketers must take all reasonable steps to prevent it posing a risk to vulnerable groups. They must also ensure that advertising meets general standards of responsibility to protect wider audiences of their marketing communications.”
The ASA recently confirmed that it will publish further guidance focusing on the protection of children and young people later this year.