ASA rules on Betdaq religious faux pas

Betdaq.com’s advert featuring Christ the Redeemer during the World Cup 2014 was reviewed by the UK Advertising Standards Authority following a complaint that objected to the use of an image of Jesus Christ to promote gambling.

Ladbrokes International Ltd trading as Betdaq featured an image of the statue with the surrounding city of Rio de Janeiro visible behind. The statue had been digitally altered so that the figure’s robe was purple, and the word “BETDAQ” had been superimposed onto it. The image was headed “World Cup 2014 – Bet With Betdaq”

The ASA found that the use of the Betdaq colour and logo on the statue did in fact create an association between the figure of Christ and gambling and commercial activities and ordered the ad not appear again in its current form.

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