Ladbrokes censured by ASA over All4 horseracing ad

Entain has become the first gambling operator of 2021 to be censured by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over social irresponsibility claims relating to a Ladbrokes advert.
The ad titled “The Racers” is part of Ladbrokes’ “Where the Nation Plays” campaign and appeared on All4 on 25 October 2020.
It showed various individuals using the Ladbrokes app on their mobile phone including one man in a café who was distracted from the conversation by a horse race going on elsewhere.
In both cases, a voiceover stated: “Come starter’s orders, I’m a bag of nerves,” while the man in the café began to shake and make the food and cutlery on his table vibrate.

A complainant challenged whether the ad depicted gambling behaviour that was socially irresponsible, a claim which was contested by Ladbrokes, which cited the absence of the man placing a bet or discussing gambling.Clearcast, which cleared the ad, asserted its belief that the man shown was not distracted and was focused on watching the race on television.Although the television was not shown, it was strongly implied that he was watching TV, as the characters who featured before him were also watching televised horseracing.Channel 4 said they did not believe the ad was socially irresponsible or could cause financial, social or emotional harm.However, the ASA did not agree with Clearcast, asserting the man was obviously detached from his surroundings as he watched the race.The regulator said it was clear that he was engrossed in the race to the extent that his companion had to point out his actions to bring his attention away from watching the television.In light of these factors, the ASA considered the ad to be socially irresponsible and ordered Ladbrokes to remove it from the streaming service.