SkyBet and Betway ads banned by ASA
Adverts from both operators deemed misleading by regulatory body
Two SkyBet advertisements have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), while the body has also moved to ban an online banner ad from Malta-licensed operator Betway.
The UK operator fell foul of the authority with regards to both a television advert and a banner ad on its website, both of which advertised “£5 free every week” until the end of the football season for players creating their first account with the sports betting brand.
However the ASA ruled the ads were “misleading” due to the failure to “[display] with sufficient prominence” that players would be required to stake £5 to get the weekly free £5 bet advertised, and ruled this condition “was so significant that it needed to be clearly stated in the ad”.
“Because the only qualifying information was available as on-screen text, it should have appeared at the same time as the voice-over and images on screen which referred to the “free bet” element of the offer,” the authority added.
Betway’s ad, which appeared as a banner on its dot.com website, advertised a “£50 risk-free bet” without highlighting the need for players to deposit to qualify for the bet, and without mentioning the need for bonuses to be wagered five times before withdrawal.
The authority again pointed to the fact the promotion created misleading consumer expectations. It explained that “because consumers expected a ‘risk-free’ bet to be one where they incurred no loss, the deposit requirements, the nature of bonus fund payments and the requirements to wager five times were inextricably linked”.
The ASA also emphasised that these relevant terms and conditions were more than a click away from the ad itself, and revealed it has warned Betway “to clearly and accurately qualify “risk-free bet” offers in the future.”
Neither the SkyBet ads nor the Betway ad are permitted to be broadcast in their current form again.
A number of other operators have fallen foul of the ASA this year, with Sportech’s Vernons Bingo brand and William Hill the most recent.