Instagram Advertisement for PokerStars Faces Ban Due to Encouragement of Hazardous Wagering Practices
Rewritten Article:
In a slip-up on PokerStars' official Instagram account, an advertisement featuring influencers Rory Jennings and Adam McKola playing slot games in a casino has come under fire. The ad, posted on December 23 of last year, was later banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Jennings and McKola, seen in the ad, engaged in a friendly slot game challenge, wagering £100 for ten spins. While McKola racked up impressive wins of £185 and £100, Jennings made a comical plea for winning strategies, even resorting to blowing on his fingers for a lucky streak. McKola's amusing suggestion to "heat your finger up" led to Jennings accumulating more winnings.
By the end of the game, McKola had amassed £622 in credit, while Jennings stood at £240. Jennings triumphantly claimed, "Dang, I put up £100 and five minutes later, £240 because of my slot skills."
ASA's Verdict
Upon receiving a single complaint, the ASA scrutinized the ad and found it breached the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code under rules 16.1, 16.3, and 16.3.1.
The watchdog raised concerns about McKola's frequent wins creating a "false illusion of guaranteed success." Additionally, Jennings' sceneflower blowing on his fingers before winning, coupled with his claim about slot skills, suggested that luck or trivial actions could significantly impact outcomes.
The ASA also objected to Jennings referring to gambling as an "investment," as this terminology trivializes gambling and encourages viewers to believe they could achieves similar financial gains.
PokerStars accepted that the ad contravened advertising regulations. The company argued that the ad was unintentionally published and was promptly removed upon receiving the complaint. It also assured the ASA that its staff handling UK advertising campaigns receive mandatory compliance training.
The ASA advised PokerStars to refrain from promoting socially irresponsible gambling or implying that gambling is a financial strategy in their future ads. The regulator stressed, "Ads should not trivialize gambling, encourage frequent and repetitive participation, or describe gambling as an investment."
This decision underscores the rigorous regulations surrounding gambling advertisements in the UK, primarily aimed at safeguarding consumers from deceptive promotions.
A Safer Gambling Environment
Adhering to social responsibility and transparency, the UK's gambling advertising guidelines uphold two principal regulatory frameworks: the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) codes and Gambling Commission standards.
In regard to youth protection, ads should steer clear of youth culture imagery, refrain from showing individuals under 25, and exclude those resembling minors in gambling promotions. Additionally, gambling ads cannot depict behaviors indicative of gambling-related harms (e.g., anxiety, desperation), use triggering phrases, or trivialize risks through humor or exaggerated success stories.
Marketing strategies should explicitly avoid targeting or exploiting problem gamblers. This includes refraining from portraying gambling as vital to financial success and disavowing the implication that gamblers have control over unpredictable outcomes.
Furthermore, transparency is paramount. Win probabilities must be disclosed, "near misses" must be distinguishable from actual wins, and autoplay features obscuring results are forbidden under parallel gameplay regulations.
Should adherence to these guidelines fail, penalties may range from ad withdrawals to operator fines, as demonstrated by recent actions against Corbett Bookmakers, who received a £686k penalty for compliance lapses.
- Rory Jennings, despite his participation in a casino-and-gambling promotional activity, was warned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for implying that gambling could be a financial investment.
- The noteworthy incident involving influencers Rory Jennings and Adam McKola, who were featured in a casino-games advertisement on PokerStars' Instagram, was found to breach the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code due to the portrayal of Jennings as having control over unpredictable outcomes.
- In the aftermath of the ASA's verdict, PokerStars assured compliance with advertising regulations in their future ads, promise to refrain from promoting socially irresponsible gambling and describing gambling as an investment.
- Responsible gambling practices are emphasized in the UK's gambling advertising guidelines, with regulations aimed at safeguarding consumers from deceptive promotions and trivializing gambling.
- Casino-games operators, such as PokerStars, are expected to adhere to stringent guidelines that prohibit the use of youth culture imagery, the depiction of gambling-related harms, and the trivialized presentation of risks in their marketing strategies.
