In December 2024, a sequence of ads by Ladbrokes, selling their “Ladbucks” rewards program, confronted backlash and had been subsequently banned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The advertisements, which aired each on TV and Video on Demand (VOD) platforms, featured a promotional marketing campaign for the brand new token-based rewards system. These ads, nevertheless, sparked considerations that the time period “Ladbucks” and the imagery used may attraction strongly to people below 18, notably due to its similarities to widespread in-game currencies used in youth-oriented video video games.
Promotional content material attracts complaints:
The TV and VOD advertisements launched viewers to “Ladbucks”, the brand new rewards program at Ladbrokes, the place customers may accumulate tokens and redeem them for numerous rewards like free spins, free bets, and extra. The tokens had been depicted as shiny cash with the initials “Lb” and had been linked to free-to-play video games in the “Ladbucks arcade,” reminiscent of Fishin Frenzy and Goldstrike. The advertisements highlighted the truth that over 100 million Ladbucks had been out there every week, dropping as gamers participated in promotional actions.
However, two complainants raised considerations with the ASA, arguing that the time period “Ladbucks” and its visible illustration had been doubtless to be interesting to youngsters. The complainants identified the sturdy similarities to in-game currencies like “V-Bucks” from Fortnite and “Robux” from Roblox, that are related to video video games that appeal to massive under-18 audiences.
In response to the complaints, Ladbrokes defended the marketing campaign, stating that “Ladbucks” was a brand-related time period, chosen as a playful nod to the corporate’s identify. They clarified that these tokens weren’t on the market, had no financial worth, and had been solely out there to verified customers over the age of 18. Additionally, Ladbrokes emphasised that the tokens expired if not used and had been distinct from in-game currencies, which usually require purchases. The firm additionally argued that the time period “bucks” was not uniquely related to youth tradition however was somewhat a colloquial time period for cash.
Furthermore, Ladbrokes identified that the advertisements had been topic to concentrating on restrictions designed to reduce publicity to under-18s. They additionally careworn that the rewards system was a regular advertising observe and that the usage of poker chip imagery didn’t immediately relate to youth tradition. The advertisements had been pre-approved by Clearcast, and Channel 4, which aired the VOD advert, additionally believed the marketing campaign complied with the promoting laws.
ASA’s evaluation and ruling:
Despite the protection, the ASA dominated that the ads breached UK promoting codes, particularly the BCAP and CAP Codes, which prohibit playing advertisements from interesting strongly to under-18s. The ASA discovered that the time period “Ladbucks,” when mixed with the coin-like imagery and the way in which the rewards system was depicted, intently resembled the digital currencies used in on-line video games which are notably widespread amongst youthful audiences, reminiscent of “V-Bucks” from Fortnite and “Robux” from Roblox. Both of those in-game currencies are well known by youngsters and are used throughout the context of video video games.
The ASA referenced a number of research and stories, together with Ofcom’s 2024 media use examine, which revealed that 60% of kids aged 3–17 play video games on-line, with Fortnite and Roblox among the many hottest titles. The watchdog concluded that the visible similarities between the Ladbucks tokens and the in-game currencies from these video games made the advertisements doubtless to resonate with under-18s, thus breaching the related codes.
In its ruling, the ASA confirmed that each the TV and VOD advertisements for Ladbrokes had been of sturdy attraction to youngsters and, as such, violated promoting laws. As stated on ASA’s website, the authority ordered that the advertisements be eliminated and prohibited from airing in their present kind. Furthermore, the ASA instructed Ladbrokes not to characteristic content material that could possibly be thought of reflective of youth tradition or doubtless to attraction to minors.
