Aussie Advertising Standards Bureau bans lottoland advert

Lottoland is the latest gambling company to fall afoul of the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau, and has seen its television advertisement banned for depicting excessive participation and secretive behaviour in wagering activities.

The ASB reacted to three complaints to the advert, which shows a man hiding under a table and using Lottoland on his mobile phone. The watchdog agreed with the complaints that the material suggested that wagering is something secretive that needs to be hidden from family and friends, which is perceived to be a depiction of “excessive participation” in wagering activities.

“The board noted that unlike in the first two versions of the advertisement where the grandmother is still shown to interact and engage with her family, in this version of the advertisement the person using the product has isolated himself from the family and considered that this is a depiction of a person who allows wagering to become a priority in their life,” the ASB said.

Earlier adverts approved by the ASB were similar to the banned material in concept, but centred on a grandmother.

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) and the ASB have been increasingly cracking down on betting ads, with new laws introduced last year to prevent companies targeting minors.

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