Channel 4 Racing rebuked by watchdog

The British broadcasting regulator OFCOM has chastised Channel 4 Racing for “overly prompting a betting offer from sponsor Ladbrokes” following several complaints from viewers.

In an interview with a Ladbrokes representative David Williams during the Channel 4 programme Racing, viewers were invited to take part in a special betting offer on the horse Camelot during the St Leger Festival 2012.

A money back promotional offer on a GBP 20 stake was explained by Williams as an on-screen caption appeared saying “LADBROKES ST LEGER Money Back from the sponsors if Camelot loses”.

In justification of the coverage, Channel 4 said at the time its production team had considered the offer to be “a significant development within the betting market” but that in hindsight “the delivery of the item was not appropriate” and that the focus should have been on the interview not on a betting offer.

OFCOM ruled the incident as a breach of Rule 9.5 of the Code finding the references to be unduly prominent.