Bookmaker TV Ads Scrutiny

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is looking into whether adverts on TV aired during the 2018 World Cup broke new gambling advertising guidelines. The adverts in question are from UK Bookies, Bet365 and William Hill and are thought to have offered the consumer improved or enhanced odds for a relatively short period .

Bet365 have spent heavily on TV advertising for many years with their famous Ads featuring Ray Winstone urging punters to “Bet Now!” generally running in play during most high profile football matches.   

In recent months William Hill have also been heavily advertising their new “Bet Boost” feature on TV . The Bet Boost allows customers to increase the odds on certain bets once the tool in the betslip has been clicked . When first introduced the Bet Boost was limited to one per customer per day but this has been extended in recent weeks during big sporting events .

In February of this year the Committees of Advertising Practice published it’s Gambling Advertising Guidance and identified ‘impulsiveness and urgency’ as specific concerns that needed to be addressed and to combat the issue, it created a provision that “makes clear that ads should not unduly pressure people to gamble.”  

In total 115 complaints were filed with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) by members of the public during the four weeks of the 2018 World Cup in Russia with many expressing concerns about the number of gambling adverts being broadcast. This level of complaints was more than four times more than complaints during the previous month.

Bookmakers are amongst the biggest advertisers on TV in the United Kingdom the Guardian newspaper reported that 17% of all advertising breaks on ITV during the four-week tournament were populated by gambling-related commercials.

UK marketing news source The Drum details that bookmakers paid as much ‘as £350,000 for a 30-second placement’ for TV advertising during the World Cup !