ASA Adjudication on Global Betting Exchange Ltd

Ad

An ad in Take Sport magazine, for The Betting Exchange, stated in large text “THE LAZY MAN’S WAY TO GET RICH” and was accompanied by a photo of a man reclining on a sofa while looking at a laptop computer. Body text stated “Mark was a sports betting exchange beginner. Now he has discovered how easy it is to back his favourite teams to win and lay his least favourite to lose! Join him and thousands of others every day!”

Issue

1. The complainant objected that the slogan "THE LAZY MANS WAY TO GET RICH" was misleading because most gamblers lost money as a result of their betting.

2. The ASA challenged whether the ad was irresponsible because it implied that gambling was an easy way to make money.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

Global Betting Exchange (BETDAQ) said the slogan and the image were intended to convey the advantages of internet betting compared with the traditional channels of a betting office or a racetrack.  Firstly, the prospective customer would be able to make a more informed choice about their bet because they could assimilate information more easily in the home environment, and secondly, the customer would not incur travel expenses, and would therefore have more to spend, and potentially to win, when gambling.  BETDAQ stated that Take Sport magazine carried editorial and advertising that promoted all forms of gambling, such as casinos and poker, as a leisure pursuit.  They believed the target readership of the magazine would be aware of the gambling-related advertising content and those that were offended by that would simply discard the magazine.  BETDAQ claimed that readers of Take Sport would be predisposed to gambling, would have an interest in gambling-related services, and would therefore understand that gamblers could lose money as well as win it.  BETDAQ maintained that the slogan "The Lazy Mans Way To Get Rich" was one of the advertising worlds top slogans and, having been used in many guises, would be familiar to readers.  They pointed out that the ad ran in only two issues of Take Sport and had not appeared in any other publication. They asserted that their services had been approved by GAMCARE, the national association for Gambling Care, Educational Resources and Training, that they strongly upheld the CAP Codes and that they had received no previous complaints from the ASA.

Assessment

1. Upheld

The ASA noted the claim "The Lazy Mans Way to Get Rich" was a well-known marketing catchphrase.  We noted BETDAQs assertion that, in the context of the ad, the slogan would not be taken literally but highlighted the comfort and potential financial gain of using internet betting sites at home rather than travelling to betting offices.  We considered, however, that the overall impression given by the slogan and body text was that gamblers who bet online would win frequently, and that it was easy to win. Because Take Sport was a free publication, we also considered that the ad could be read by those under 18 years of age and those unfamiliar with gambling who might not have a full appreciation of the risks involved.  We concluded that the claim was likely to mislead.  

On this point, the ad breached CAP Code clause 7.1 (Truthfulness)

2. Upheld

We noted BETDAQs claim that readers of Take Sport would have an interest in, and a knowledge of, gambling and would therefore understand that gamblers could lose, as well as win, money.  We noted, however, that Take Sport was a free publication distributed throughout the London area and that the ad suggested that gamblers could easily make money sitting at home. We considered that although some readers would understand that gambling was not a guaranteed way of making money, the ad could be read by those under 18 years of age or vulnerable members of society and could be seen as encouraging people to resolve their financial difficulties by gambling online. We concluded that the ad was irresponsible.     

On this point, the ad breached CAP Code clauses 2.2 (Responsible advertising) and 54.1 (Betting and gaming).

Action

We told BETDAQ not to repeat the ad in its current form and advised them to consult the CAP Copy Advice team when devising future ads.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)