Ad Standards reminds advertisers, with footy grand finals this weekend and the start of the spring racing season around the corner, to be mindful of the content of betting commercials.
While licensed operators can legally advertise wagering products and services in Australia, there are rules in place to ensure wagering ads are delivered in a responsible way. This includes the rules set out in the AANA Wagering Advertising & Marketing Communication Code.
The object of this code is to ensure that advertisers and marketers develop and maintain a high sense of social responsibility in advertising.
Ad Standards said: “Some key things to keep in mind when advertising wagering activities, ensure you:
- Don’t use imagery that interests children
- Don’t show excessive participation
- Don’t depict anyone who looks below the age of 25 participating in a wagering activity
- Be aware of the other codes that apply to all ads, on all media.”
The Ad Standards Community Panel has reviewed a few interesting cases this year under the AANA Wagering Code, which can be helpful for current advertisers to learn from.
A digital ad from betting company Unibet showed a man holding a sign that said ‘Cashing Out is for Pussies.' This case was found to breach the AANA Wagering Code for being disparaging of people who wish to stop wagering. It also breached the AANA Code of Ethics for using phrasing that is degrading to women.
A TV ad from betting company Sportsbet received complaints due to the spokesperson stating she knew that a specific leg in her multi-leg bet would happen. The Panel found that she did not imply or state a promise of winning, and a winning outcome is still dependent on other factors of the bet. The complaints were dismissed.
A TV ad from betting company Sportsbet received complaints about depicting emergency workers gambling on the job. The Community Panel noted that the scenario depicted was highly exaggerated and unrealistic. The complaints were dismissed.
If you have any concerns that your content might not align with any areas of the advertising codes, you can submit a request for Copy Advice.
Ad Standards can provide fast and confidential guidance about potential issues in your content and the best way to go about fixing them. Ad Standards accept requests for all new concepts, imagery, copy and campaigns prior to publication, broadcast or public release.
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