Ads from Coral, owned by Rank and Entain, were branded “socially irresponsible” by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which banned both communications.
Rank’s ads appeared within the Lucky Night mobile casino game and were related to the Wolf Gold casino game.
“Everybody wants to solve their own problems [sic] financial problems. Click the download button now and start earning,” the ad said. “Actually, everything is very easy with our application. Pay off the loan, buy a car and a nice house and earn a lot of money!”
The text at the bottom of the ad said ‘Welcome Bonus £400’.
In supporting the allegations, the ASA contested the use of the words “start earning” and “make big money.” This is because it implies that the app can provide consistent income and thus financial security. Additionally, it determined that the ad suggested that players could purchase expensive items such as houses and cars through gambling.
Rank said the ad was purchased by WakeApp, a third-party organization that handles in-app media on Rank’s behalf. Rank ended its relationship with WakeApp following complaints.
Rank also said it was not aware of the content of the ad and did not approve it.
Ultimately, the ASA concluded that the advertisement violated Rules 16.1, 16.3, 16.3.1, and 16.3.4 of the 12th Edition of the CAP Code.
The Coral ad aired on television in March 2022 and featured a horse race.
The ASA concluded that advertising promoted socially irresponsible gambling behavior in a number of ways. This includes tracks, crowds, horse saddle cloths, and how the Coral brand was featured in the narration.
Additionally, the ad asked, “How long did you wait for the gate to crash open?”
Coral, however, insisted the ad never explicitly mentioned the bet.
Advertisements also included audiovisual effects recreating horse racing, such as swaying camera shots, shouts from the crowd, and truck hooves.
“The specific presentation of these elements of the ad, in combination with the narration, is critical for audiences vulnerable to problem gambling to replicate or recall the ‘high’ associated with previous successful bets or bets in general. I thought it would be a big risk. said the ASA.
Both ads should never be displayed again.
