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Fluffy animals betting advertisement was reckless, says guard dog
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28 October 2020
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A gaming advert which featured fluffy animals has been prohibited after being branded "reckless" by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
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The video ad for Gala Spins - part of the FTSE 100-listed gambling giant GVC Holdings - featured 5 toy animals.

The ASA ruled the ad "was likely to be of particular interest under-18s" and therefore "the advertisement was irresponsible".

The owner of Gala Spins stated it had actually removed the advert from all its channels.

The paid-for Facebook post in August featured a video caption "it's a rollercoaster of cuteness" and a video showing "fluffy favourite" toy animals.

It triggered a complaint to the yohaig code advertising guard dog that the material of the advert was likely to appeal to kids.

The ASA concurred and stated: "Gambling ads should not be most likely to be of particular appeal to kids or young individuals, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture.

"We thought about that the advertisement was likely to be of specific interest under-18s and therefore concluded that the advertisement was reckless and breached the [advertising] this promotion code."

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Gala Spins said it published the video featuring packed animals in error and that it was an out-of-date video.

It said its designated target market was females aged in between 18 and 65 interested in gaming.

Gala Spins was censured by the watchdog 2 years ago for connecting betting and skill in an advert.

One of its TV ads included a guy playing on his tablet with a voiceover suggesting: "Try it now and see if you have actually got the skill."

The ASA ruled that the yohaig code line "see if you have actually got the talent" was successfully an invite to gamble online in the context of the ad, and therefore indicated that audiences might use skill to improve their opportunities of winning.

Gala Spins is part of Gibraltar-based LC International which in turn is owned by GVC Holdings, which purchased Ladbrokes Coral in 2018.

Last year, GVC processed ₤ 11.2bn-worth of sports wagers through its different brand names, consisting of Bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds International and Sportingbet.

It also owns a variety of video games business consisting of CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Partypoker and PartyCasino.
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