In the United Kingdom and the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled against online casino operator ElectraWorks Limited after determining that one of the firm’s ads had breached local responsible marketing protocols.

The regulator used an official press release to announce that the iGaming firm had fallen foul of the Non-Broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing Code by allowing a paid-for Google search ad for its domain at FoxyGames.com to feature the tag line ‘Earn Money Online – Foxy Games – Play Online’ and be displayed when the search term ‘make money online’ was used.

Principal point:

The Advertising Standards Authority stated that the ad seen on July 11 had been deemed in breach because ‘advertisers must not suggest that gambling can be a solution to financial concerns’ or in any way be proposed as ‘an alternative to employment or a way to achieve financial security.’

Read a statement from the Advertising Standards Authority…

“We considered the ‘earn money online’ claim suggested to consumers that the gambling system offered by the advertiser could be used to ‘earn’ money and therefore attain a regular source of income. We considered this had the effect of suggesting that gambling could be a way to achieve financial security.”

Absolute embargo:

The regulator declared that Gibraltar-based ElectraWorks Limited had blamed the appearance of the offending advertisement on ‘human error’ and was taking immediate action to affect its removal. However, the organization moreover pronounced that the ad had been ‘socially irresponsible’ and must now ‘not appear again in the form complained of.’

Ensuing grievance:

In related news and the Advertising Standards Authority used a subsequent press release to explain that it had failed to find a television ad from Maltese iGaming operator Betfair Casino Limited for the BetfairCasino.com domain in breach of its rules.

Alacrity apprehension:

The regulator pronounced that this second advertisement had featured a male traveller calmly enjoying gambling entertainment while sitting in the departure lounge of an airport as others rushed to board their flights. The organization stated that one complainant had challenged whether this ad was responsible due to a concern that it ‘portrayed gambling as taking priority in life by showing someone gambling in a time-pressured situation after the final boarding call for his flight.’

Complete control:

Nevertheless, the Advertising Standards Authority pronounced that it could not find this advertisement in breach because it had not given ‘the impression that people should gamble in situations where they were genuinely at risk of being distracted from an important task.’ The regulator furthermore pronounced that the ad had been approved by Clearcast and had shown a man that ‘appeared to be aware of his surroundings and boarding time’ as he ‘calmly removed his phone from his pocket to open up the Betfair Casino app.’

The Advertising Standards Authority’s second ruling read…

“The voiceover describing ‘four minutes and 53 seconds’ suggested that the man had only intended to have a quick game on Betfair Casino before his flight departed. His relaxed demeanor further suggested that he was travelling during his leisure time and there was therefore no suggestion that gambling was taking priority in his life over other commitments. We therefore concluded that the ad did not portray, condone or encourage gambling behavior that was socially irresponsible or portray gambling as indispensable or as taking priority in life.”