A commercial promoting betting, which aired during this year’s World Ice Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic, was found to violate the Code of Responsible Advertising.

The Advertising Standards Council announced the decision at the end of June.

The Council flagged the advertisement for promoting gambling as a fun activity, citing specific statements like “One thing we can guarantee, you’ll enjoy it,” and “Just start”. These slogans were delivered by NHL ice-hockey star Tomáš Tatar.

The advertisement showed people participating in various common leisure activities, and the slogans used were not problematic on their own. However, the commission took issue with the implied comparison between these activities and betting.

“The [Council’s] commission agreed that the advertisement targets new players, thereby encouraging reckless participation in gambling,” said the executive director of the Council, Eva Tiko Rajčáková.

The betting company Tipsport, which created the advert, expressed regret over the Council’s decision. They emphasised that the advertisement was never intended to recklessly encourage gambling. Nevertheless, Tipsport has committed to halting the ad’s distribution, the only penalty the Advertising Council can impose.

A complaint was filed against the commercial during the main broadcast of the ice-hockey championships in May, arguing that it was immoral to promote betting during primetime when children and adolescents might see it and be motivated to bet.

“Thousands of families of gamblers would attest that the ‘just start’ slogan can lead a person and their entire family to financial ruin,” wrote the complainant.

A complaint was also filed about the same advertisement in the Czech Republic during the championships. In the Czech version, the main star was Boston Bruins forward David Pastrňák. However, the Czech Advertising Standards Council found no issues with the ad, deeming it unproblematic. Marek Hlavica, director of the Council in Czechia, stated that the average consumer, as a responsible individual, must have the ability to reasonably assess whether participation in a gambling is appropriate for them.