ASA censures 888 and Gala Bingo

Two online gambling firms featured in the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) adjudication summary this week, 888.com concerning a direct mailing and Gala Bingo in respect of an e-mail promotion.

A player complaint against the 888.com direct mailing promotion, which featured a no deposit bonus offer of GBP 10 at Casino-on-Net, did not directly state that a minimum withdrawal amount applied despite the condition appearing in Casino-on-Net’s bonus policy.

As a result the complaint was upheld and deemed by the ASA as misleading advertising. The company was reminded to ensure that significant conditions were stated in any future advertisements.

Gala Bingo’s censure stemmed from an e-mail promotion offering a GBP 10 bonus activated through the use of a code that would release a 100 percent bonus of up to GBP 10. The complainant, who understood it was necessary to stake GBP 50 to release the GBP 10 bonus, challenged whether the e-mail was misleading, because it claimed to offer a 100 percent bonus on a GBP 10 deposit.

The ASA upheld this complaint too as misleading advertising and the company was instructed to not release the ad in its current form again.