ASA SANCTIONS LADBROKES AND BETFAIR ADS


Thursday May 5,2016 : ASA SANCTIONS LADBROKES AND BETFAIR ADS

Slapped on the wrist for misleading advertisements.

Ladbrokes Betting and Gaming was sanctioned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for a sales promotion appearing on betting slips that offered a GBP 2 free self service bet on bets placed over the counter of GBP 5 plus.

Further text on the betting slip said “ Ladbrokes rules apply…”  The promotion terms, which was run on a “whilst stocks last” basis, were advertised via in-store promotional material and on Ladbrokes’ website.

Based on two complaints that challenged whether the “whilst stocks last” condition should have appeared on the betting slip, the ASA concluded that the promotional betting slip was misleading and ordered Ladbrokes’ to ensure all promotional material carried significant conditions.

In a second ruling concerning a Betfair TV commercial which offered all new customers an “enhanced price on the big match” referring to the Liverpool v Rubin Kazan clash, the ASA upheld a complaint that challenged whether the ad was misleading, because it did not make clear that enhanced bet winnings would be paid in the form of free bets.

The ASA said, “…how the advertised enhanced odds would be applied was not sufficiently explained” in the commercial and ruled the ad may not appear again in its current form.