Gambling company ordered to withdraw ‘irresponsible’ advert featuring fluffy animals

Promotion breached guidelines about targeting children, says Advertising Standards Agency

Merger mania has gripped the sector, and amid a scramble for scale unleashed by Ladbrokes-Coral and Paddy Power-Betfair, other players may have to sit down at the table

Regulators have ordered an “irresponsible” gambling advert featuring fluffy animals to be taken down following a complaint about it appealing to children.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) ruled that an advert posted by Gala Spins on Facebook showing five toy animals breached guidelines about betting companies targeting under-18s.

The paid-for Facebook post was on a page only adult users can view. But since users submit their own age, the ASA deemed this insufficient protection for children.

The ASA ruled that the video caption reading “it’s a rollercoaster of cuteness” and a video showing “fluffy favourite“ toy animals made the advert “likely to appeal to under-18s“.

A statement outlining the ruling said: “Gambling ads must not be likely to be of particular appeal to children or young persons, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture.

“We considered that the ad was likely to be of particular appeal to under-18s and therefore concluded that the ad was irresponsible and breached the code.“

LC International Ltd, trading as Gala Spins, said they posted the eight-second video in error and that its intended target audience was women aged between 18 and 65 interested in gambling.

The company said it has since removed the advert from all of its channels.

PA