The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued a warning to bingo operators that their ads must meet the same standards as other gambling ads.
As reported by FocusGN, the ASA highlighted several examples of bingo ads breaching the regulator’s advertising code and, in its warning, reminded operators that they’re subject to the same regulations and penalties as other gambling products.
Under the ASA’s code, gambling advertisements of any kind must not portray, encourage or condone gambling behaviour that could lead to social, emotional or financial harm. Ads also cannot promote gambling as a solution to financial problems or as a means of escape.
The advertising regulator recalled a bingo ad from a Gala Bingo affiliate that breached the ASA’s code by suggesting that gambling can solve financial problems. The ad in question featured a player clearing their debts by winning a Gala Bingo jackpot.
Recalling another ad breach for a Looney Tunes-themed bingo product for Betfair, the ASA reiterated that gambling ads, including those for bingo, must not be aimed at those under the age of 18.
The news comes after Pragmatic Play celebrated National Bingo Day last week by offering a free £1,000 bingo game and £100 jackpot prizes in its 80-ball bingo games. The celebration marked the first day National Bingo Day was registered as an awareness day in the United Kingdom, support by The Bingo Association and licensed gambling operators.
Speaking of Pragmatic Play, the leading game developer announced today (June 28) that it has donated £10,200 to the charity Cancer Relief in Gibraltar.
According to Pragmatic Play, the charity has expanded rapidly to meet the needs of the community within Gibraltar, and the donation will assist the charity in ensuring that they can continue delivering their high-quality services to those in need.
The £10,200 donation will cover the charity’s training costs for a year, with several staff members benefitting from further development. The donation will also allow other employees to undertake specialised advanced education.
Julian Jarvis, the CEO at Pragmatic Play, said in a statement: “The pandemic has obviously put health issues into sharper focus – it is important not to forget all the other concerns that can significantly affect people’s lives.
“We appreciate the fantastic work that Cancer Relief carries out in our community, here, in Gibraltar, to support patients and their families in times of great need.”
The news comes after the developer made generous donations to the Homeless Animal Hospital and The Metropolis Philanthropic Foundation in Romania and helped in the redevelopment of sports facilities at the Prior Park School in Gibraltar.
Meanwhile, Pragmatic Play has continued to release new casino games, including 5 Lions MegaWays and Lucky Lightning, and has acquired new licenses to expand its reach into the City of Buenos Aires, Colombia, and more.
Meanwhile, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued a warning on the risk of overspending with cashless payments, following the release of a new survey by the gambling regulatory body.
The Commission’s warning comes after the organisation published the results of an online survey conducted by 2CV for the UKGC as part of its ongoing Consumer Voice research campaign. The survey polled 314 land-based gamblers who had gambled in the last 12 months.
The survey discovered that participants feel less in control of their spending and that it’s easier to overspend when using cashless payments for gambling, such as debit cards or contactless mobile payments.
Around 85% of respondents said that making cashless payments made it easier for them to spend more than they intended, and 77% said that using cashless payments made it easier for them to spend more time gambling.
In addition, 47% of respondents said that using cashless payments made it difficult to keep track of their spending, while 70% said using cash made it easier to set spending limits when gambling when compared to using cashless methods.
According to the survey, 37% of respondents said they’d spend a little more than intended to when using a contactless card, and 13% said they would spend a lot more than intended compared to 9% of respondents who said they would spend a little more and 1% who said they would spend a lot more than intended when using cash.
The brand new survey also found that the most common payment method for land-based gambling, with 77% of respondents preferring to use cash over card payments.
In its response to the survey, the UK Gambling Commission suggested the creation of an app to track gambling activity in customers using cashless methods and intervening when necessary to reduce overspending and gambling-related harm.
The Commission quizzed respondents on the idea, and 22% said they’d be happy to pay to gamble through an app that allowed operators to access and track their information to help ensure their safety. Around 33% of respondents disliked the idea over concerns on privacy.
The news comes after the UK Gambling Commission, which banned credit cards from being used for gambling, published a survey last week which found that more than 30% of UK players said that ads had encouraged them to gamble.
In its survey, the Commission found that the most common form of advertising that encouraged users to gamble was in the form of a post or media, while the most likely marketing technique was free bets promotions or money to spend with a gambling company.
The survey results come as the UK Government continues its review of the Gambling Act 2005 and aims at making changes to how the gambling industry operates.
