Irish watchdog bans TonyBet YouTube ad over misleading gambling income claims
Ireland's ASAI banned a TonyBet YouTube ad for falsely suggesting gambling could provide a reliable income.Summary
Ireland’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASAI) has banned a YouTube advertisement for TonyBet, an online bookmaker, due to misleading claims about potential income from gambling. The ad featured a woman claiming to have made $8,500 in a month through the platform, which the ASAI deemed presented betting as a solution to financial problems and a reliable income source. Two viewers complained, arguing the ad could encourage irresponsible behavior, particularly among those financially vulnerable. TonyBet stated the ad was run by an external affiliate without proper internal compliance checks and has since been removed, with promises of stricter approval procedures. The ASAI’s Complaints Council ruled the ad breached Irish advertising codes regarding gambling, specifically prohibiting the portrayal of betting as a financial solution. This decision aligns with increased scrutiny of gambling advertising in both Ireland and the UK, with similar bans and reprimands issued to other companies like Betway and PokerStars, and growing public calls for tighter restrictions on gambling promotion.
(Source：Readwrite)