The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against a Ladbrokes advertisement, with the body ruling that the ad depicted gambling behaviour that was socially irresponsible.
The ad, seen on All4 on 25 October 2020, portrayed various people using the Ladbrokes app on their mobile phones. One scene showed a clip of a horse race, before showing a man in a cafe looking into the distance, with a voice-over stating “Come starter’s orders, I’m a bag of nerves.”
The man’s leg was shaking, before a woman asked “Really?”, capturing his attention before he turned away once more. The complainant challenged whether the ad depicted gambling behaviour that was socially responsible.
Ladbrokes defended the ad, stating it did not portray socially irresponsible behaviour as the man was not shown placing a bet or did not talk about gambling. The bookmaker added that the ad featured people in everyday situations, and that it intended to convey that many people enjoy gambling safely every week.
