UK's ASA slaps 888 and pats William Hill

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint on 888’s (Cassava Enterprises) newest online poker webcam television advert deeming it against the BCAP code for linking gambling to sexual success and seduction.

The ad promoting 888 Poker’s PokerCam tables features a man turning on his computer webcam as a voice over says “Turn your webcam on at 888 Poker and play face-to-face online. You never know who you might meet at a poker cam table”. The camera pans around a virtual poker table alighting on several patrons from diverse backgrounds, however, one patron – a good looking bikini-clad woman who places a bet – displays what the ASA have termed as a seductive demeanor – a claim that 888 Poker denies.

Despite 888 Poker’s objections and a clearance from Clearcast, the ASA has upheld the complaint and ruled that the advertisement may not appear again in its current form.

William Hill received a more favourable response from the ASA on a complaint lodged by Gala Racing Ltd on a press advert punting betting odds on Premier League and SPL matches over a weekend.

The ad headlined “TOP PRICE THE FAVOURITES EVERY PREMIER LEAGUE & SPL MATCH” guaranteed the best prices on all favourites in opening rounds of Premier League and SPL matches with added text in small print linked by an asterisk clarifying the terms and conditions.

Coral Racing Ltd challenged whether the claim was misleading and could be substantiated as they believed that some of their own prices, including those available in betting shops and online, were better.

The ASA ruled that the body copy of the ad included text that made clear to readers that the top price claim related only to those prices available through the website, over the telephone or through the text message service and that the prices available in retail betting shops were not included in the price promise.

The claim was dismissed by the advertising authority.