LeoVegas, the worldwide operator of on-line casinos and sports activities betting web sites, has been ordered by the United Kingdom Advertising Standards Authority to withdraw certainly one of its radio commercials for BetUK, a web-based sports activities betting model.
The Advertising Standards Authority dominated that the respective advert was “irresponsible” and that it may attraction to kids. The advert aired in September 2023 and it featured Adebayo Akinfenwa, a retired soccer participant, who spoke about his function as a model ambassador for BetUK.
However, within the advert in query Akinfenwa inspired gamers to gamble responsibly and likewise made them conscious of the varied safer playing instruments out there on BetUK, together with deposit limits, the potential for setting time-outs and scheduling actuality checks.
The Advertising Standards Authority obtained only one criticism relating to the commercial’s potential attraction to kids. The respective criticism underlined that the presence of a former soccer participant within the advert may current a robust attraction to kids and that might put the advert in breach of the BCAP Code.
LeoVegas Rejects Complaint
The on-line on line casino and sports activities betting operator responded to the criticism by saying that it doesn’t consider the advert appeals to kids. LeoVegas and BetUK underlined that Adebayo Akinfenwa is now aged 41 and has retired from soccer for a while, so it’s fairly unlikely that he’s common with immediately’s kids.
Moreover, LeoVegas and BetUK identified that Akinfenwa was not an enormous soccer star again within the day, he spent most of his profession within the decrease leagues of English soccer and never within the Premier League. That makes any potential for attraction to kids even decrease.
Adebayo Akinfenwa does have a clothes vary which made him identified outdoors of the world of soccer however BetUK underlined that it doesn’t embody any merchandise for kids, so there shouldn’t be any drawback there both.
When trying on the social media accounts related to Akinfenwa, BetUK identified that simply 8 % of his complete followers on Instagram had been below the age of 18, whereas on Snapchat the share went up to 18 %.
The sports activities betting operator additionally underlined that the advert didn’t characteristic any content material that might usually be related to kids or a infantile tone. Moreover, it was performed throughout a radio present that’s concentrating on an grownup viewers. Radiocentre, the industrial physique for United Kingdom radio stations, determined to help BetUK on this case.
Despite the response, the Advertising Standards Authority determined to uphold the criticism as a result of it was present in breach of the BCAP Code, which states that adverts for playing merchandise should not be seemingly to be of robust attraction to kids or younger individuals.
Source: “LeoVegas ordered to withdraw “irresponsible” BetUK radio advert“. iGaming Business. March 13, 2024.
