Munich Lottery Charged With Irresponsible Gambling Advertisement
The Munich lottery officially titled Lotto Bayern, has been sentenced by regional courts for irresponsible advertising, breaking pre-existing regulations. According to court proceedings, several recent ad campaigns conducted through Lotto Bayern were in violation of marketing laws, which have remained the same since the turn of the century. Following a complaint from a Maltese betting company, the courts issued a cease-and-desist order to prevent any further marketing campaigns following in the footsteps of their previous outings.
Lotto Bayern are knee-deep in controversy as regional courts issued a cease and desist against them, charged with violating advertising regulations. The Munich branch of the national lottery will have to rethink their marketing strategy after the latest court proceedings. ©FelixMittermeier/Pixabay
A betting company in Gibraltar also filed a lawsuit against the Munich lottery group; however, the courts dismissed their complaint as they are no longer active on German territory. Several leaks have suggested that more than two lawsuits were filed from numerous European outlets against Lotto Bayern for their staunch use of advertising tactics. As one spokesperson said for the Maltese sportsbook, this kind of behaviour reflects on the whole industry. Despite the negativity, national lotteries have been used to great effect such as the Polish vaccine lottery.
Lotto Bayern has been granted a 30-day window to appeal the court’s decision, and any attempt made will be redirected to an independent case court located in Hamburg in Northern Germany. So far, the accused party are yet to comment on the current situation, but it’s expected that an official statement will arrive in the next few days. Despite an option for appeal, it’s highly unlikely that independent courts will reverse the decision by Munich regional judges.
During the initial court hearing, clips from Lotto Bayern’s latest advert campaigns were shown to a judge and jury in an effort to expand upon the illegitimacy of the marketing used to promote their service. For example, one tagline reading “Lead a Happy and H*rny Life” lead to the direct questioning of a marketing senior within the company. He explained that slogans such as the example mentioned above are used to spark initial interest and appeal to younger males who make up a large portion of their customer base.
Several videos from Lotto Bayern have been removed from television schedules and YouTube advertising rotas as they’re deemed unfit for public viewing. Lotto Bayern, having been sentenced, will receive an undetermined fine later in the year and a warning to hopefully prevent any future complications. The Munich Lottery group aren’t the first organization to get in trouble for advertising standards. The Monchengladbach state lottery was prosecuted last year for false claims in their advertising material.
Lotto Bayern Using Star Signs to Advertise Horoscope Betting
While certain taglines and paraphrasing caused an initial outcry directed at their advertising material, another component has confused onlookers and media alike. A subsection of the Lotto Bayern ticket register enables customers to participate in a so-called ‘Horoscope Lottery’. Star signs are used in gambling advertisements to persuade customers with various astrological patterns to bet at corresponding times of the year, supposedly to increase their chances of winning. The court deemed it false advertising, and Lotto Bayern has once again been penalized.
While Lotto Bayern is under pressure from regional courts, other German lottery companies have taken aim at the Munich company, claiming their actions have significantly cost other businesses. The use of zodiac signs in marketing is an interesting proposition for smaller businesses. However, in the employment of betting and lottery firms, using an astrological concept to persuade consumers is inappropriate and could lead to significant social damage.
It’s a massive step back in productivity for the company as they look to recover the damage caused by the global pandemic and all the knock-on effects. Lotto Bayern is said to be reissuing their marketing department and replacing some key positions with fresh faces to liven up the Munich-based lottery’s current culture. They provide a very popular service, and it’s within their best interest to once again pursue honest and legal means to promote their service to the good people of Munich.
