Where do they draw the line?

August 22, 2008

I’m not sure if you guys have heard of the Advertising Standards Authority. They’re the monitoring body responsible for ensuring that online gambling ads adhere to strict advertising policies. Since they were given this role last year, they have banned several ads including Paddy Power’s ‘Who says you can’t make money being short?’ and Intercasino’s Rolling Dice ads. Both feature little people presumably being exploited in different ways (Paddy Power’s ad features a little person in a limousine flaunting his money with 2 sexy ladies on either side of him and Intercasino’s ad shows 2 little people dressed as dice being rolled down a hill). Both ads were intended to appeal to the humourous nature of people but were given 2 thumbs down by the ASA and ordered to be removed from television stations.

Their latest victim is Wink Bingo, whose ad’s tagline states, “Find the appropriate moment”. The Spacebar Media produced ad features a nurse on duty in the Maternity Ward of a hospital and celebrating her Wink Bingo Jackpot win while a woman is giving birth unattended in the adjoining room. The ad was deemed “inappropriate” quite contradictory to its slogan, as it advocated gambling at work and neglecting one’s professional duties. The ASA acknowledged that they understood the purpose of the ad was to “portray a real-life situation in a humorous way” but banned it anyway as it was considered to be irresponsible.

I guess the strict advertising code for online gambling ads means that they all must follow the same theme where persons with no social life are up in the wee hours of the morning playing in front of their laptop or PC and throwing their hands in the air in victory as they win a jackpot! Can anyone say “BORING”!

While I understand that the ASA is just doing their job, I’m really scratching my head and wondering where do they draw the line? Creativity has always been the success of the online gambling advertising community but it seems to me that online gambling is being stifled in any and every which way possible.

Written by admin · Filed Under Online Casino News 
Tagged:

Comments

Got something to say?

You must be logged in to post a comment.