Hills ad complaint thrown out; 888 seductive ad banned; Arrests made as bookmakers are robbed

hills asa 888A complaint made concerning a William Hill Online (WHO) TV ad has been thrown out by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Coral Racing had challenged the wording of the ad believing they offered better odds in store. It’s about time they learnt how to read the small print though. If this had been the case they’d have found out the claim “TOP PRICE THE FAVOURITES EVERY PREMIER LEAGUE & SPL MATCH We guarantee to offer the best prices on ALL favourites” was accompanied by “ALL FOOTBALL PRICES ARE PHONE/NET/MOBILE. DIFFERENT ODDS MAY APPLY IN SHOP”.

888 weren’t so lucky as the ASA upheld a complaint against their new poker ad. One viewer “challenged whether the ad linked gambling and sexual success” with the ASA agreeing this was the case. The ad was promoting 888’s poker cam tables and depicted a man playing against people from all round the world. One of these players was a bikini-clad beauty and her appearance was followed by the seductively voiced slogan “You never know who you might meet at a poker cam table.” This sent the ASA into overdrive as the combination of “the removal of her sunglasses, tilt of her head, and movement of her shoulders as she raised the stakes” were deemed “flirtatious and seductive” and thus breached the BCAP code. Next time just get Ray Winstone to do the voiceover. There’s no way he’ll ever make a phrase sound flirtatious and attractive.

Five people have been arrested after a number of robberies in Leicester. Two branches of Ladbrokes and one of William Hill fell victim to armed raids last week with police acting fast to get their suspects. The arrested men are aged 23, 24 and 29 with a 33-year-old also in custody. A 32-year-old woman has already been charged with robbery in connection to the incidents that were carried out with hammers.