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Coral and Rank Digital Gaming Slammed for Inappropriate Ads
Betting and online casino venues often have a strong marketing campaign when it comes to getting new customers, and some of them take it too far. This is what recently happened to Coral, a sportsbook, and Rank Digital Gaming, the company behind the Lucky Night app.
The Advertising Standards Agency has received numerous complaints about 2 ads, one per company. It seemed that they both encouraged people to gamble and that’s why they were slammed by the agency. Both companies issued statements and were dealt with appropriately.
The Complaints
A recent commercial by Coral seemed to have inappropriate content. The commercial was about horseracing since the company is related to sports betting. According to the complaint, the presence of Coral flags in the background and the wording of the commercial indicated that the commercial was targeting a vulnerable group of people and encouraging them to bet on sports.
Coral defended itself by saying that the commercial was just that and it alluded to the excitement of horseracing. Despite these arguments, the Agency deemed the ad socially irresponsible and banned it from appearing again. Something similar happened to the Lucky Night app by Rank Digital Gaming.
The app itself was fine, it was an in-app ad that sparked controversy as it alluded to playing casino games to solve your financial problems. Unlike the previous case, this one clearly indicated encouraging people to gamble and it makes sense that a complaint has been voiced.
Rank Digital Gaming officials said they had nothing to do with it as the company behind the app was WakeApp. This company, in turn, explained the entire process of making an app and stated that the ad doesn’t mirror their internal policy.
In this case, the Agency stated that the ad mustn’t appear in its current form, and Rank Digital Gaming needs to ensure that any future ads should not appear in such a fashion. Casino sportsbook operators are expressly forbidden from encouraging people to place bets and play casino games.
This can cause addiction and take things down the drain as people that haven’t been able to stop have taken their lives. Some have managed to get out of that hole and are now urging for tighter rules on gaming and sportsbooks apps. Ads like the ones mentioned before are the wrong way of advertising and the operator’s app.
Conclusion
Both online sportsbooks and casino apps need to adhere to the rules and regulations each commission sets otherwise they would get their ads banned and will get the appropriate fines for their irresponsible behavior.
