ASA sanctions Marathon Bet and Paddy Power ads

The UK advertising watchdog sanctioned promotional runs by Marathon Bet and Paddy Power during its latest weekly roundup.

A promotional claim appearing on marathonbet.co.uk earlier this year was ruled as misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) despite acknowledging a typographical error that the company had rectified.

The ASA deemed terms and conditions linked to the claim were ultimately lacking as the ad did not make clear that a portion of winnings would be paid out as a free bet, as opposed to cash.

A TV and press ad for Paddy Power, appearing in March 2016, received a raft of complaints challenging a Cheltenham promotion that targeted a select group of clients.

The bulk of the complaints challenged whether the terminology used in both ads misleadingly implied the offer was open to everyone.

The ASA dismissed complaints on the press ad, however, upheld those on the TV ad saying it may not appear again in its current form.