Australia’s biggest sports wagering company, Sportsbet, breached industry standards when it implied successful gambling would lead to sexual success and make men more attractive, a regulator has ruled.
The television advertisement, which aired during football coverage, showed a man slumped on the couch at home and looking at his phone while dressed in shabby clothes.
When he wins his multi-bet, a voice over artist says “feels like you’ve finally made it” as the man is suddenly teleported to an awards ceremony where, dressed in a tuxedo, he wins the “most outstanding same game multi” award and is applauded and cheered by the crowd.
One viewer registered a complaint with the advertising industry’s self-regulating watchdog, Ad Standards, arguing Sportsbet relied on “the false and dangerous narrative that you’re just ‘one bet away’ from ‘winning big’ and thus ‘winning’ the literal applause of your friends and family”.
“I’m disgusted as Nine and Sportsbet both clearly know this plays straight into a dangerous and false narrative of many gambling addicts,” the complaint said.
The Ad Standards community panel, which investigates alleged breaches of the advertising industry’s wagering code of conduct, found the advertisement did not state or imply a promise of winning, but did create an impression that gambling “could result in enhanced attractiveness and an improvement in self-image”.
“The panel determined that the advertisement did state or imply a link between wagering and sexual success or enhanced attractiveness and determined that the advertisement did breach … the wagering code,” an Ad Standards judgment said.
“The panel noted that the man is shown to go from sitting alone on a couch in casual clothing to being dressed in a tuxedo with a woman next to him celebrating his success.
“While the context of the advertisement is an imagined scenario, the panel considered that it shows that the man’s self-image has improved after winning and he feels more attractive.”
In a statement to Ad Standards, a Sportsbet spokesperson strenuously denied any contravention of the advertising industry’s wagering code.
“We look forward to receiving further correspondence from your office providing Sportsbet with the option to request an independent review of the community panel’s determination,” the Sportsbet statement said.
“Sportsbet respects the community panel’s determination and has suspended distribution of the advertisement via television until the outcome of the independent review process is known.”
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Sportsbet argued there was no suggestion the admiration shown to the gambler was excessive and dismissed claims his success made him more sexually attractive as baseless.
“The advertisement depicts a modest award ceremony and the crowd reacts to the winner’s announcement and acceptance speech with balanced levels of applause and disappointment in a way that is consistent with that seen at the Oscars or similar event,” Sportsbet unsuccessfully argued.
This is not the first time Ad Standards has taken issue with Sportsbet advertisements. In 2019, the gambling company pulled a campaign for its new phone application after the board ruled it was sexist.
The television advertisement shows a blond beauty pageant model holding up the app and saying: “I personally believe that apps such like as Sportsbet that make it easier for people to use … because apps”. A male host then raises his eyes and says the app is “foolproof”.
“[The] advertisement conveys the overall impression that women who enter beauty pageants are unintelligent, which is a negative stereotype, and in the panel’s view this incites ridicule of these women,” the board said.
The volume and content of gambling advertisements have come under renewed scrutiny in recent months, with a parliamentary inquiry expected to recommend tougher regulation in coming weeks.