Betfair's Online Poker Ad Banned in U.K.
Published: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Online-Casinos.com
Annette Obrestad, winner of the World Series of Poker Europe is old enough to play online poker but she doesn't look it. Betfair was counting on appealing to the young demographic that are the new source of online gambling revenues in a wired world. Unfortunately the use of the number 15 in the advert suggests someone a little too young.
The picture with the tag line "Online experience is measured in games, not years. Join the new breed. Annette_15." is very compelling considering she is a poker champion after all. Not too many people know who this young woman is and when looking at her picture would think she is even younger than 15.
The United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has responded to complaints made against the e-mailed advertisement for Betfair's online poker site. The Authority noted that the ad encouraged underage gambling, a problem facing many online gambling operators.
Betfair replied by saying that their marketing department had been given clear instructions not to use the Obrestad ad in marketing materials directed at U.K. customers, and that they were disappointed she was, apologizing for the error. Never the less, the press that Betfair has received after the ad was banned is still press. In the world of advertising sometimes bad press is as just as effective in reaching the target market. BetFair insists that they in no way were marketing online gambling to minors. The proof is in the pudding as they say and this is a great example of guerrilla marketing at it's best.
The gambling provisions of the CAP Code for the gambling market, were clearly violated by the marketers at Betfair, pulling the ad that still was accessed by a huge number of people is like closing the barn door after the horse has left.
From Betfair's corporate web site, "Betfair prides itself on its innovation, integrity, fairness to customers and a determination to work in partnership with international governments and regulators. These qualities are being recognised throughout the world."- David Yu, CEO, Nov. 2008
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