Ladbrokes Banner ad deemed misleading


Wednesday July 30,2014 : LADBROKES IN THE HOT SEAT WITH THE ASA
 
Banner ad deemed misleading and breached CAP Code
 
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has sanctioned Ladbrokes for a banner ad that appeared on sportsbeta.ladbrokes.com.
 
The promotion which offered "UP TO £500! IN FREE BETS ON LADBROKES EXCHANGE" and hyperlinked to loaded terms and conditions, had the complainant wondering whether the ad was misleading and if participants were be treated fairly and honourably as he/she understood that in order to obtain £500 in free bets, customers must have won a minimum of £38,500.
 
Ladbrokes confirmed that the complainant was correct in their understanding that, in order to obtain £500 of free bets, customers must have paid £1,925 in commission to Ladbrokes on their winning bets, which, at a commission rate of 5 percent, meant they would have had to have won £38,500.
 
While Ladbrokes adhered to the code regarding terms and conditions being one click away, the ASA ruled because the terms and conditions did not make clear the significant extent of the monetary commitment that was entailed in qualifying for each £25 of free bets, the offer was in breach of the Code and ruled it may not appear again in its current form.