William Hill Bingo advert ‘irresponsible’
The bookmaker William Hill has been told by the advertising watchdog that an advert for its online bingo service was “socially irresponsible” and has been banned.
The advert in question showed a woman hurrying her husband off the work by moving the hands of the clock forward before going upstairs to play bingo on the William Hill site. The advert has now been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who said the advert finished “implied the woman was desperate to play bingo and was either unable to wait any longer or wanted to keep that secret from her husband.”
The body responsible for pre-vetting television ads Clearcast said it had taken into account William Hill’s argument that it was humorous in tine and that they had considered the advert carefully. The ASA however disagreed and said the advert portrayed and condoned gambling behavior that could lead to financial, social or emotional harm and “that it was socially irresponsible.”
New regulations had to be introduced last year in an attempt to stop a rise in gambling addictions after casinos, betting shops, and online gambling sites were able to advertise for the first time on television under the 2005 Gambling Act.
www.williamhill.com