iGaming Business magazine iGB 112 Sept/Oct 2018 | Page 43

Sports Betting
ROLLING THE DIE
ON
TARGETED IN-PLAY ADS
Despite new ASA guidelines curbing ‘bet now’ ads, being clever with creatives
and leveraging data will ensure TV’s continued effectiveness for marketers,
writes TVSquared’s Blair Robertson
During a Sunday afternoon watching Sky Sports, over 42% of
ads aired before the 9pm watershed were found to encourage
viewers to gamble.
With Premier League games attracting an average of 819,000
viewers and a huge 23.6 million people tuning in to watch
one of England’s World Cup matches, marketers must uphold
responsible standards.
A new directive from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
which came into effect on 2 April this year is aimed at curbing the
‘trivialisation of gambling’ across core marketing activities such
as social media, CRM and websites. Ads must no longer create an
inappropriate sense of urgency like those that encourage viewers to
‘bet now!’
As a core marketing channel for the gambling and sports betting
market – known for its ability to reach mass audiences and drive
response – how can TV advertisers specifi cally ensure compliance,
while still achieving the full benefi ts from their campaigns?
Rising standards
The updated guidelines were drafted by the Committee of
Advertising Practice (CAP) to clamp down on bad ad practices
that target vulnerable gamblers with urgent calls-to-action, bonuses
and promotions. The directive restricts not only infl ammatory
messaging but also creatives that trivialise repetitive betting habits.
The ASA has shown no signs of leniency since the introduction
of the new directive, moving to ban a recent PokerStars ad as the
minute-long commercial implied that even inexperienced poker
players can easily win games by bluffi ng. The ASA deemed that this
could be seen to encourage reckless gambling behaviour.
Lydia Mulkeen is client director at the UK’s largest media agency,