Betting ad banned for 'encouraging' underage gambling
Gambling advert for Betfair banned for implying 'irresponsible' underage betting
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Wednesday, 16, Sep 2009 12:08
By Sarah Garrod.
A gambling advert has been banned because it showed a picture of a young woman which "implied" she was 15 years old.
The ad for Betfair showed a photo of a young woman with the tagline "Online experience is measured in games, not years. Join the new breed. Annette_15".
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint made about the advert, saying it "was likely to have particular appeal to children and young people, and that, by representing a successful young poker player with the implication she was 15 years old, it could encourage young people to gamble and was therefore irresponsible".
The ad was sent out in an email for an online poker site and showed Annette Obrestad, who is actually 20 years old, because she is a poker champion. 'Annette_15' is her online handle.
The issue put forward by the complainant were that the ad was irresponsible because it might encourage children and young people to gamble, and the ASA challenged whether the ad breached the gambling provisions of the code, because Annette was 20, not over 25, which is a requirement for gambling marketing.
In their response, Betfair said it "did not target their marketing at under 18-year-olds".
An ASA statement said Betfair "did not believe their ad would encourage children and young people to gamble, partly because of the media selection used to distribute the email and partly because of the technical measures they used to prevent children and young people from gambling on their site".
"They said Ms Obrestad was featured in the ad not because of her age but because of her standing as a poker professional and champion who had had a profound effect on the game," it continued.
"They said Ms Obrestad, at 20 years of age, was an adult, outside the definition of a child or a young person under the code and the Gambling Act.
"Notwithstanding that, Betfair said clear instructions had been given to their marketing department not to use Annette Obrestad again in marketing material directed at UK consumers and they were disappointed she had been, and apologised for the error."
The ASA ruled the ad must not appear again in its current format: "We noted the code stated that no one under 25 years of age should be featured gambling in a marketing communication, or playing a significant role. Because Ms Obrestad was 20 years old and because, as a professional poker player, she played a significant role in gambling in the ad, we concluded the ad breached the provisions of the code."